Thinking about the future can be stressful, especially if long term plans are unclear.

For people in this situation, Jessica Deer has a piece of advice.

“If there’s ever a point in your life where you’re confused about your future, what I recommend is to reach out of your comfort zone and try a little bit of everything,” Deer said. “Find what you are passionate about and then base your future off of it.”

Deer, a 2016 graduate of Pascack Valley, recently fulfilled her ambitions at the University of New Haven in Prato, Italy. Her love of travel motivated her to study abroad for the fall semester. While in Italy, she also found her passion for forensic psychology.

“I interned for the junior police academy for three years, which is held for Holdrum Middle School students,” she said. “I then became an EMT at 17, so I was always in love with law enforcement and I also had a knack for psychology. Forensic psychology had the perfect combination.”

She arrived in Italy on Aug. 31 and spent three and a half months studying abroad.

Deer’s time in Italy was filled with adventure. She traveled and experienced different aspects of Italian culture, which she described as the opportunity of a lifetime. One of the major cultural differences between America and Italy had to do with the issue of drinking.

“Italians drink super responsibly,” Deer said. “It’s a nice break from the American culture.”

While there, Deer witnessed many problems that plague Italy, including homelessness and immigration. Italy has a huge Chinese migrant population that has trouble becoming Italian citizens. These immigrants have to live in Italy for ten uninterrupted years before they can become Italian citizens, which is hard for certain families because they send their children back home over the summer to reunite with friends and family. Chinese immigrants struggle with work conditions in textile factories and are not familiar with the Italian language.

“It’s almost impossible for them to integrate into Italy, so the Chinese mostly stay in their own community due to the language gap,” Deer said.

Much of what she has learned about Italy comes from an Italian life and culture class she took, which she described as amazing.

During her semester abroad, Deer was not only able to travel to Italy, but also to Germany, Croatia, London, and the Netherlands. The UNH Tuscany Campus Freshman Program gave her the opportunity to try new things like wine tasting and game nights.

“I can honestly say there was something new to do everyday,” she said.

Deer’s love for travel inspired her to learn Spanish so she can potentially travel to Spain. She is unsure of her visions for the future, but knows that she wants to use her degree for further travel.

“While traveling I’ve discovered a lot about myself,” Deer said. “I learned that I am adaptable and resourceful. I became an adult since I’ve been alone, but perhaps more importantly, I’ve learned more about the world.”

Deer flew back to America on Dec. 16. She was excited to go home to reunite with her loved ones, but was extremely heartbroken to leave Italy.

“Studying abroad is a daring adventure,” she said, “but that’s what makes life extraordinary and I think everyone should do it at least once in their life.”