You've returned home from studying abroad in another country for a span of six weeks to six months. Whether it be England, Italy, Spain, Australia or somewhere else in the world, you are not feeling the same as you did before you left home. It does not matter if you've been home for two weeks or two years, your study abroad home will always be apart of you.
Which is why, naturally, you have to talk to all of your friends about your experience. Sure you're friends were happy to hear about your experience when you first got back, but now you're starting to see signs that your friends are tired of hearing about your study abroad experience.
As a former study abroad student, I could tell the tell-tail signs that I had become that friend in my friend groups that could not shut up about their time abroad. Here are the signs that you have become that friend.
1. You work in the fact you studied abroad into every conversation
It does not phase you that the person you're talking to about this (your best friend or a stranger on a bus) may not be interested in the fact that you studied abroad, but you go on anyway because you do not care.
2. You show your study abroad pride in your home
Sometimes it's in a more obvious place (such as the living room or kitchen), but that's because you secretly hope that people will notice and ask, "What's with all the (insert country name) stuff?" Then you follow with "Oh, I studied abroad there," and you go on from there.
3. You have a scrapbook filled with photos from your semester abroad
And you keep it within close range to pull out at all occasions.
4. You complain about how home is not like your study abroad home
But it's only because you want people to understand why your study abroad home was so great and how you wish home, the place you love most, was more like it.
5. You and your study abroad friends talk to one another about how no one gets it
You guys went through everything together while studying abroad. From crazy weekends traveling to exploring your new city, you will always have the bond that only studying abroad together could bring upon you.
6. You try to have your friends adapt to your abroad's home way of life
Have you ever used the phrase "Oh, the Italians do it this way," or "In London, EVERYONE had this as an afternoon snack?" Then you are guilty of trying to get your friends to adapt to the way you lived when you were living in another country.
7. You talk about how you miss how easy traveling was
Seriously, you went adventuring to a new place almost every weekend, for a very good price too. Why do your friends not understand how easy it was to go from London to Paris to Amsterdam all in one weekend?
8. You've become a master in the kitchen
Chances are you took a cooking class while abroad or picked up a recipe or two that is a delicacy in your abroad home. You're friends notice your skills and are either impressed... or annoyed with how great a chef you've become.
9. Your study abroad experience helped you land a job
You then have to talk again about how you made the right choice to study abroad in college... and then you remember your non-study abroad friends are still struggling to find a job.
10. You have at least one friend who has told you "you're back home now."
Thats the more obvious sign that your friend is tired of hearing you talk about your study abroad experience.
11. You have at least two friends who have thrown something at you when you even mention studying abroad
Usually when your friends start throwing things at you, it's time to really stop, but you won't.
