“You asked me the other day what my wishes were… I want to go away somewhere this winter for a change” (Little Women, Chap. 32, p. 428).

This is what rebellious, one-of-a-kind Jo March tells her mother, known as Marmee, in Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel Little Women. Jo goes away to New York and finds her own destiny. More than anything, Jo March believes in herself. She has an inner force that drives her, guides her, and lets her discover her own path.  

This is my advice for students going to study abroad: believe in yourself; trust that inner force and find your own path…

Paulo Coelho in his book The Alchemist says that even if subconsciously, you are always searching for your own path, and that you WILL KNOW once you’ve found it…

I went abroad for the first time to Italy when I was 17. I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know the language, but I discovered that I loved languages, and that books contained hidden secrets that moved my soul. By studying languages and books, I’ve found incredible worlds and lessons for my own life. My house is full of books and stories that have helped me find myself. This is the path I found more than thirty years ago. It still is my path.

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