b'If I could go back,With a class setting that overlooked the bustling city I would. Granted,of Hong Kong, we were nestled within a 14-story-traveling or studyinghigh classroom surrounded by towering skyscrapers; it was extremely hard not to daydream with that abroad is rarelykind of view. Day by day, we were introduced to the ever cheap, but itvarious industrial aspects of Hong Konghow the is most definitelycity sustained itself, why Mandarin was preferred over worth it. Hong KongCantonese in the finance industry, and the crazy price was my opportunitytags on parking spots, homes, and taxi licenses. Each day I encountered someone or something that kept to study abroad inme in awe of the city around me. I talked to almost a more traditionalevery person I could, or at least the ones that could aspect, and I gainedunderstand me. So often we tend to teach foreigners much more than theabout the mannerisms we have back home, taking pride in our own country but forgetting to listen to average learningwhat they have to share with us. Not many of us are experience. aware of our actions when we go abroad. We forget to stop taking pictures and take in the little details around us; I am guilty of this. Sometimes we forget that an experience isnt always about documenting the process but learning to tell the journey in a creative and inspiring way for us to share with others when we return home. With every experience abroad Ive had, I have reflected on these ideas. Studying abroad isnt solely about learning in a classroom; its about understanding ourselves in a completely foreign setting, learning to adapt or finding common ground, challenging our comfort zones, and giving us the opportunity to grow as an individual.We were halfway through our first week in Hong Kong when an acronym caught my attention during class. Guest speaker Mr. Stephen Leung, county manager from Pfizer Hong Kong, was providing guidance and insight into the next steps after graduation. We were all so eager to figure out just how exactly we could become successful like the many guest speakers we had interacted with. Steering away from the traditional presentations of career journeys and his accomplishments, Mr. Leung used wisdom and acronyms to grasp our attention. Many of us assumed and stressed that it would be a challenge to find the best job or the career that paid the most following graduation. Mr. Leung assured us that, more times than not, we would fail more than once. He explained that it takes time, it takes experience, and it takes bravery to SPRING 2019 15'