"Traveling is in my blood," said Anne Gilliland, a senior at Ohio University. "It's habit-forming."

Gilliland sat at one of 40 tables during the Study Abroad Fair in the Baker Center Ballroom yesterday afternoon and talked to students about her experiences overseas. Her latest voyage was the one she was pitching - the opportunity to teach elementary school children in Swaziland, which is in Southeast Africa.

"I didn't want to go on an everyday study abroad program," Gilliland said. "Swaziland was a big culture shock, but when you study abroad you have to be flexible and adapt to new situations. You have to abide by the rules of the culture you are staying in - that's part of diplomacy and cultural sensitivity."

Students interested in studying abroad milled around Gilliland's table and moved on to check out different opportunities offered by OU or other institutions. Non-OU programs are invited to the fair because the university does not have enough programs to satisfy the demand for study abroad, said Connie Perdreau, director of the Office of Education Abroad.

"We try to get programs that consistently attract students," she said. "Many students, mostly freshman and sophomores, get their first contact with studying abroad at the fair and then follow up with it afterwards."

The Study Abroad Fair began 10 years ago, and Perdreau said it has grown since its creation.

"We had about 15 tables and maybe 100 students during the first year," she said. "Now we have 40 tables and more than 500 students attending the fair."

Representatives from non-OU organizations, OU faculty, staff and students with past study abroad experience were at each table to answer questions and explain the different programs.

"I had so many questions when I decided to study abroad," said Nickie Ringer, a senior who spent four months studying in Odense, Denmark last fall.

Ringer worked at the fair answering an array of questions about life and classes in Denmark, traveling opportunities, money and other queries from interested students.

"As much as you try to prepare yourself for your study abroad, you can't," she said. "Actually living in a different country is something you can't learn from a book - you have to experience it for yourself."

Michael Swift, associate director for American InterContinental University and a representative at the fair, recommended studying abroad not only as a resume boost, but as an experience unparalleled by any other.

"The initial experience of studying abroad is so moving - it gives you another perspective on life," he said.