Meeting new people and creating lasting friendships is not only a benefit of studying abroad, it’s pretty much essential. They’re your weekend travel companions, your late-night study buddy, the shoulder you cry on when you’re feeling homesick, and the people you keep in contact with and can call on for the rest of your life.
I wouldn’t have done half of what I did during my year abroad in Scotland without my friends – golfing on the Old Course, traveling all over Europe, enjoy St. Andrews student life. I wouldn’t even have been able to stay in China after my first semester if it hadn’t been for my best Chinese friend who let me crash on his couch for almost a month while apartment hunting, and for two of my best American friends who were there to help in almost every aspect of school and daily life.
As long as you’re open, you’ll be able to make friends with people from all over the world and all walks of life. Try not to shut anyone out or turn yourself off to meeting certain people, including other Americans. When it comes to study abroad friends, the more the merrier, regardless of where they’re from.