{"id":16598,"date":"2026-01-20T13:02:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/wilkinson\/2026\/01\/20\/from-our-eyes-how-i-went-from-never-considering-study-abroad-to-crossing-the-globe\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T02:51:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T02:51:47","slug":"from-our-eyes-how-i-went-from-never-considering-study-abroad-to-crossing-the-globe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2026\/01\/20\/from-our-eyes-how-i-went-from-never-considering-study-abroad-to-crossing-the-globe\/","title":{"rendered":"From Our Eyes: How I Went From Never Considering Study Abroad to Crossing the Globe"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this edition of From Our Eyes, Ava Brandt (\u201927 Creative Writing,<\/a> Documentary Film, and LGBTQ studies<\/a> minor) shares her experience going abroad to Paris, France, in Fall 2025.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"
(Left to right); Olivia Greenberg, Ava Brandt, Matis, Natalie, Ava, and Katie at the Eiffel Tower! Photo courtesy of Brandt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I first came to Chapman, I had no intentions of going abroad – especially to a country on the other side of the world! After all, one of the reasons I chose Chapman was because it was only 30 minutes away from home (aside from their great programs and classes, of course). Going to study in a foreign country was not on my mind when I started classes as a freshman.<\/p>\n

As I learned more about it, I immediately discovered how wonderful the opportunity of going abroad is, but I figured I wouldn\u2019t be able to afford it, and it would be too hard to figure out how to transfer my classes and such. So, I kept it in the back of my mind, but assumed it wouldn\u2019t be a real possibility.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Me, Olivia Greenberg (\\’27 Graphic design), and our friends who came to visit us abroad at Sacr\u00e9-C\u0153ur in Paris.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During my sophomore year, I started looking into it more and scheduled a meeting with a global advisor. She walked me through the application process and explained that when studying abroad, I would still pay Chapman tuition with no additional costs, which made it possible for me to do so. So, I started filling out the application and going to meetings.<\/p>\n

I decided on Seville, Spain. I would say the hardest part was gathering all of the paperwork for the visa application, and boy, was it a lot. I bet you are wondering, \u2018wait, the intro says Paris,\u2019 <\/i>and you are correct. Over the summer, Spain changed its visa requirements, making it impossible for many students to obtain their visas on time. I was one of those students.<\/p>\n

I was devastated, and there was nothing I could do. I felt hopeless.<\/p>\n

A month later, I got an email that I had been accepted into the French Riviera program in France. Sounds amazing, right? Until they told me they didn\u2019t have space in the program. What was I going to do?! At this point, I felt defeated. I wasn\u2019t going abroad, and I wasn’t enrolled in any Chapman classes. So now what?<\/p>\n

About three weeks before classes were about to start, I got an email that there was space in the CEA CAPA (Cultural Experiences Abroad & CAPA: The Global Education Network)<\/a> Paris program. Great, Paris<\/i>. That is supposed to sound sarcastic. By that point, I had already accepted that I wasn\u2019t going abroad and that Paris would probably be a dead end, just like the rest. Right?<\/p>\n

Wrong. I completed the visa application\u2013my third one\u2013and got my visa back in less than a week! Filled out the paperwork, sent my documents, and booked my flight to Paris with no classes and no idea if it was going to work out.<\/p>\n

I made it to Paris after a 20-hour travel day. My advisors were the nicest people ever and helped me get my schedule. I met my friends I would spend the rest of my time abroad with on the first day, and I got into all my classes the following week.<\/p>\n

Getting to Paris was insane, but I could not imagine having spent my time abroad anywhere else. Did I not know the language at all when I went? Yes. Did only two of my classes end up counting for my major? Yes. Did I have the best experience of my life? Yes. Would I do it all over again? 100%.<\/p>\n

So I guess what I am trying to say is, if you are thinking about going abroad, go! If you are unsure, go to a meeting! If you haven\u2019t thought about it, do some research! And if you are already planning to go and have submitted the application, I am so excited for you!<\/p>\n

You will end up where you are meant to be, and trust me, there is a whole team of people here at Chapman, and wherever you are applying to, that are rooting for you! I know I am!<\/p>\n

Learn more about Chapman’s study abroad programs.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

(Pictured in header: Ava Brandt (\u201927 Creative Writing, Documentary Film, and LGBTQ studies minor) at Saint Emilion, a wine vineyard outside of Bordeaux, France. Photo courtesy of Brandt)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this edition of From Our Eyes, Ava Brandt (\u201927 Creative Writing, Documentary Film, and LGBTQ studies minor) shares her 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