There is a tendency to remember the good parts of studying abroad, but there's also a tendency to remember the good parts about any memory if, on balance, you thought it was good. When you're thinking back to the acc championship semester, no one will remember the days that it rained, you got muddy red clay all over your rug, and your shoes got drenched (for example).
But, more to the point of the thread, living in another country and culture for the first time is such a life changing experience that it's really hard to regret it. It changes the way you see yourself and the US in a way that going on vacation abroad can approximate, but never really duplicate. On the other hand, studying (or living) abroad for the second (or third or fourth) time likely will be a more mixed experience. At that point, you've already gotten all the outside-the-US benefits from the first time, so it's more or less about the benefits that the country you pick can provide weighed against the annoyances of everyday life there.