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Months after coming home, I still find myself talking about exchange as if I just got back. Whether it is a photo, a song, or a random memory, I constantly think about the places I lived, the people I met, and the life I had.

I was in the unique position of spending ten months on exchange across two countries, beginning at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in France through the ORA program and then continuing my year at Cardiff University in Wales. This meant that just as I became comfortable in one place, I had the opportunity to start over and experience exchange from a completely different perspective. Between moving into my first apartment, navigating classes in a new country, meeting new people and living out of a suitcase more times than I can count, I became much more comfortable adapting to new places and figuring things out as I went.

Lyon was the first place where I truly learned what it meant to make a home somewhere completely new. I fell in love with the little things that made the city feel like mine, like discovering traditional Lyonnais bouchons, becoming a regular at my favourite café, finding my favourite viewpoint overlooking the city, walking along the Rhône and Saône, and spending evenings eating and talking with friends in the city’s lively squares. Over time, I stopped feeling like I was simply visiting Lyon and started to feel like I was actually living there. I had my favourite places, my own routines and, most importantly, people who made the city feel like home. By the end, I knew I would miss not only the big experiences, but the simple privilege of waking up every day and calling Lyon home.

Being abroad for ten months also meant celebrating some of the biggest moments of my year far from home. From spending my birthday in Greece to Christmas in Belgium and New Year’s in Paris, I got to experience familiar celebrations in completely new ways in unfamiliar places. Spending Christmas away from my family for the first time was especially different, but I was lucky enough to spend it with my best friend and his family, who welcomed me into their home and included me in their celebrations. Experiences like these let me see how people from different cultures celebrate the same holidays in their own ways, while also creating new traditions and memories of my own.

More than anything, the people made my exchange what it was. I became close with local students and other exchange students. Some of my favorite memories are not necessarily from the big trips or destinations, but from the everyday moments shared with friends. It is strange how quickly people can become such an important part of your life, and some of the hardest moments of my exchange were saying goodbye.

After Lyon, I packed up and started the second half of my exchange in Wales at Cardiff University. Cardiff was completely different from the life I had grown used to in Lyon. The city moved at a much slower pace and was extremely student-oriented, which gave my second semester a completely different feel. I loved experiencing Welsh and UK culture, from going downtown and grabbing a coffee in Cardiff’s arcades to hiking Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales, and seeing my first rugby game in person, where I experienced firsthand how important the sport is to Welsh culture. Studying in two countries meant I came away with two very different experiences of what living and studying abroad could look like.

Travel was another unforgettable part of my year. By the end of exchange, I had travelled to 11 countries and 22 cities. Every trip came with its own stories… from missed trains, questionable hostel rooms, new foods, last-minute changes of plans and memories with friends. Travelling taught me how to be resourceful and adaptable, but living abroad taught me something even more valuable: how to build a life for myself somewhere completely new.

I still remember being at the airport with my family before I left and doubting whether I really wanted to get on the plane. Ten months suddenly felt like a long time, and leaving everything familiar behind was much easier to imagine than to actually do. My dad told me to go, and looking back, I am so glad I listened. It is funny to think I was once unsure about leaving when, in the end, leaving my exchange was the hardest part.

Somewhere along the way, “Let It Happen” became one of the songs I associated most with my exchange, and I think the title ended up describing how I learned to approach the year. Not everything went according to plan, and some of my best memories came from moments I never could have planned. I became much better at saying yes, going with things as they came and trusting that I would figure it out along the way. I tried to embrace it throughout my exchange, and I have carried it with me since coming home.

I came home with far too many photos, friendships spread across different countries and a much greater sense of independence. My advice to anyone considering an exchange is to take the chance, even if you have doubts at first. Talk to as many people as you can, put yourself out there, embrace the unexpected and appreciate the ordinary days just as much as the big ones. The first few weeks are not a reflection of your entire exchange, and some of the people I took a chance on talking to ended up becoming some of my best friends.

If I could go back and do those ten months all over again, I wouldn’t have to think twice. I miss so much about exchange, but Lyon is always the first place that comes to mind.