George Mason University had its annual study abroad orientation this past weekend, at which the Center for Global Education presented exciting opportunities for students and faculty. It is a truism that study abroad “broadens” outlooks, and listening to students talk about their experiences in these programs illustrates why better than any glossy brochure could.

I recognize students’ transformations in my own experience. My first trip abroad was in high school, and the six-hour time difference meant that I fell asleep early in Paris after my arrival and woke up equally early. It was a perfect time to visit Les Halles markets — still in existence in the 1960s. That crack-of-dawn taste of the market’s legendary onion soup was the start to an eye-opening summer.