Fish and chips, a cold "Bier" and escargot aren't the only cool things about studying abroad.
Sometimes, the unexpected can make an ordinary trip extraordinary.
Molly Watkins, senior in English, spent six weeks in London, England.
"I've always dreamed of traveling, but I never thought it was a reality," Watkins said.
Watkins, who joined the AU Summer in London program because of a friend, said even though she went to an English-speaking country, there was still a language barrier.
"Just the way that we interact with people is different," Watkins said, citing things like holding doors open for people.
Watkins said there was variance in the way people viewed tourists.
Some locals just saw them as loud, obnoxious people, but "some loved sharing culture and hearing about our culture," Watkins said.
More than 900 miles away in Vienna, Austria, Kelly Walters had the same experience adjusting to the different way in which people treat each other.
"When you smile at people in Vienna, they don't really smile back," Walters said.
Walters, junior in elementary education, went to Vienna with more on the line than experiencing a new culture and earning a few course credits.
"The reason I went was because my family was there," Walters said.
Walters was able to meet her grandmother's family while she was abroad.
She said her most profound memory is meeting her uncle for the first time.
"I knew exactly who he was right when I saw him," Walters said.
When she left, Walters gave him a hug and told him she loved him.
"He was so happy," Walters said. "It was like he wasn't really expecting that."
Walters said most of the people in Vienna were friendly and accommodating, even without the smiles.
"They were willing to go out of their way to help us," Walters said.
Josh Nagel, senior in hotel and restaurant management, spent one month touring 12 cities in Europe.
"It was different everywhere you went," Nagel said. "In Rheims, (France,) it's like the whole town shut down to watch us 14 Americans. Everyone just stopped and stared at us."
Nagel went abroad as part of his major, and so much of the experience was gastronomical.
"I learned the importance of fresh ingredients, local ingredients," said Nagel, who experienced the meat and potatoes of Germany, the cheeses and breads of Italy and the many sauces in France.
"I ate a lot," Nagel said.
Taylor Anderson, senior in history, had a different experience when it came to food.
"The lifestyle that I live (in America) is a lot more unhealthy," said Anderson, who studied in Salamanca, Spain, for a month.
Anderson said he got accustomed to smaller meals, not much snacking, drinking lots of water and exercising more.
"They walk everywhere," Anderson said. "I would go on jogs in the morning and be running through old cathedrals."
In addition to studying in a variety of countries, learning different languages and adjusting to foreign cultures, these four students discovered things about themselves and the world they live in.
Watkins said the trip made her lose the ability to be scared about things.
"I didn't want to let the fear of not knowing people hold me back, but I was really very nervous," Watkins said. "You think when you go to a different country, everyone's going to be completely opposite from you."
Watkins said you realize you are not as different from others when you are out of your comfort zone.
"I found a lot of things that I was used to," Watkins said. "All in all, it was pretty similar to what we're used to here."
Walters said the greatest thing she got from the experience was learning to enjoy the moment, instead of what just happened or what will be coming up next in life.
"I became a lot more comfortable with myself, with doing things by myself," Walters said. "It was nice to be Kelly."
Through studying abroad, Anderson was able to gain new perspectives and see the world, particularly America, through another country's eyes.
"By the time we left, we felt like locals," Anderson said.
Perhaps the ability to fit in with the local culture was due to the mindset of his group.
"Everyone focused on what we had in common," Anderson said. "People left with that attitude on life. There is good in everyone, and it's really not hard to find it if you just look."
Nagel said he is the same person he was before he left, but his thinking is different.
"I kinda liked the fact of slowing things down," Nagel said about the way people in Europe live their day-to-day lives. "I'm confident that I could go over there now and do it on my own, no problem."
Studying abroad, for these students, amounted to more than leafing through textbooks in foreign classrooms.
For them, it was about seeing the world in a new way.
"The world is your classroom," Nagel said.
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