A Late Letter To a Future Student

I've only traveled out of the country once before.  It was fantastic and I have a lot of great memories from that trip, but it was with my family and the experience of traveling alone and with peers is completely different.  I've always been really attached to my family (not that that is a bad thing), but I severely lack independence.  Traveling and studying abroad was my solution to that.  Not only did I gain independence, but I know that it may be a very long time before I can travel again, and this seemed to be the way I could get the most out of it-academically, financially, personally.
The things I learned and the topics we discussed were not what I expected.  For some reason, I thought we would spend all day in art museums (which would be fine with me, although I know that's not ideal for everyone else).  We were very active and spend time on artists, movements, media, and social customs and periods that I was unfamiliar with.  By the end of the trip I felt well versed in not only the history of my media, but many (and capable of talking about them).
The largest accomplishment and the biggest challenge I faced was the culture and the language.  Before leaving, I spoke no French and was a very picky eater.  I made an effort to speak as much French as possible (no matter how horrible it was) and try as many new things as I could.  Often times, this made me frustrated, flustered, or grossed out, but I left restaurants (and France) with a sense of pride knowing that I tried something new and trying is appreciated, whether the experience was successful or not. 
Without the school and my peers, my experience would have been very different.  Some of my favorite things, like the Quai Branly, would not have made it to my agenda if I had been traveling alone.  We got opportunities, like the museum pass and the Maison de Verre which would have unavailable to be otherwise for exclusivity or financial reasons.  Because this was a course, it was stressed to keep up a sketchbook.  This is uncommon for me, but it was very good practice.  I have personal notes and drawings that I value more than any picture or souvenir. 
On the other hand, I spend several days in Paris by myself after the trip was over and that is highly recommended.  I was able to digest all of the information we were given, relax, adjust to my own schedule, and visit/revisit things we didn't have time for.  This was a test for my navigation and speaking skills (I think I did pretty well) and a low key end to the trip.