I was never able to study abroad in college. Now I'm watching my daughter live out my dreams by studying abroad in Spain.

• When I was in college, I had a dream of studying abroad in Australia but couldn't afford it.
• As my daughter grew up, I frequently reminded her about the importance of studying abroad.

As a daughter of an immigrant, I was raised to use my intellect and forge a path out of my working-class suburb. The expectation was that I would go to college.

While I met that expectation, I had a dream of my own: studying abroad in Australia. As a biology major who was conducting marine-biology research, I had the goal of getting to the Great Barrier Reef.

During my sophomore year, I found my way to the study-abroad office. Unfortunately, I was told just how expensive studying abroad would be and realized I couldn't afford it. There didn't seem to be any path forward for me, so I gave up on my dream.

But from a young age, I started ingraining the merits of studying abroad in my daughter. Finally, after nearly two decades, I'm watching my daughter live out my study-abroad dreams.

I raised my daughter with the expectation that she would study abroad

After college, I stayed at my university to work full time as an advisor, helping students plan out their study-abroad semesters. So in our house, travel was always a popular topic. I would frequently say to my daughter, "When you go to college and study abroad … "

At first, she didn't flinch. She went to an elementary school where the parents talked about Ivy League schools from an early age.

Of course, I didn't want my daughter to miss out, but I wanted her to study abroad because I knew it could be a transformative experience. I also knew that it could be one of the most affordable times to travel in your life. I also wanted my daughter to have the full college experience — one I never got to have.

As she got older, my daughter grew skeptical of studying abroad. In her senior year of high school, she said she might not want to take a semester away from her college and studies just to travel. Instead, she wanted to get through college as quickly as possible.

I tried to explain to her that college was going to be a very short period in her life. I also told her that while her main job would be to study, she should take the opportunity to explore the world and herself inside it.

I didn't let up. As she was preparing to go to college, I kept up the study-abroad talk.

"When you get to campus, don't forget to get to the study-abroad office by Thanksgiving," I said. "You are going to want to make a plan early."

In 2021, she enrolled in a great college and went straight to the study-abroad office.

Thankfully, she listened to me, and she's studying abroad in Spain

After preparing her for so many years for this experience, I was surprised to find myself nervous about her departure.

I wondered whether she would make her connecting flight or whether she would struggle in a country where she didn't speak the language. I worried she would get hurt over there and I wouldn't have a way to get to her.

I was also afraid that she would be homesick, hate the experience, and blame me for encouraging this adventure.

But this spring semester, my daughter finally took off to Spain with her best friend. While they're not in the same city, they're in the same country. Once she was safely in her apartment, I relaxed. When I saw her posting photos from her adventures, I calmed down even more.

Now as I watch her live out my college dream, I feel a great sense of pride

I just got back from visiting her in Spain. We took the train everywhere, and she rarely looked at her phone. After just two months in her new city, she knew where we were headed, and I just followed her. I knew that one day our roles would flip, but her studies abroad accelerated that move — and it was great.

College is supposed to launch you into adulthood, and adding studying abroad to her curriculum appears to have added rocket fuel to that launch.