Ever since my first trip to Spain in 2017 with my high school exchange program, I knew I would do whatever it took to be able to return. Four years later as I began to pack my bags for my semester abroad, I was filled with anxiety. There were many factors contributing to that feeling. I was nervous about being in a new place, my Spanish not being strong enough, making friends, and being thousands of miles away from my home. But at the forefront of my mind, was how/if I was going to be able to maintain my health and fitness.

I have been a physically active person my whole life but started taking it seriously when I was no longer playing sports. I quickly fell in love with weightlifting and I had no idea how much of a commitment it was or how dedicated I was going to become. Going on short trips here and there was manageable for me, but it was not easy. So going into a four-month period of time not knowing if I would have access to a gym or be able to maintain decent eating habits, was very daunting to me.

The first few weeks in Alicante, Spain I spent creating a new life in my new environment. I can attest that gyms do exist in Spain. It took me some adjusting to the weights being in kilograms and researching gym terms in Spanish, but I found myself in a solid routine rapidamente. I even made friends with some of the locals who frequented the gym at the same time as me. Suddenly, one of my biggest worries coming into the trip was solved… AND I was learning a whole slew of new vocabulary words.

I think being abroad as “gym rat” really challenged me to open my mind to the world. I was able to realize the value in the experience I was going through, and let myself prioritize soaking up every second of everyday. I know the fitness community is growing and I know there has to be someone out there who shares some of the same feelings as I did thinking about going abroad. I am here to tell you that four months out of your 80ish YEARS, is absolutely not going to make a difference in the long run. You are not going to look back on your life and think “I shouldn’t have skipped the gym that day”. You are going to look back on the places you went, people you met, and the memories you made. I wish I had someone to tell me that when I was packing my bags and getting ready for my semester abroad.