Wait a second. You never really wanted to return home anyways. You basically just lived some surreal secondary European dream, filled with endless weekend excursions and new eats that you, well, just can’t stop eating.

Although your time abroad was anything but boring, it was bound to come to an end. And you knew that. As your trip drew to a close, you were anxious to get home, since the excitement was essentially over. But that decline of excitement doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to not look forward to when you return home.

1. You can start a conversation with a stranger without having to ask “do you speak english?”

You tried speaking the native language. But most likely you failed on multiple attempts. Luckily, most Europeans speak english as their secondary language. The translation, however, isn’t perfect.

Being able to communicate without having to translate or find multiple ways to say the same thing is pretty much a relief. No more daily language struggle.

2. You no longer have to pay for water at restaurants.

You simply had enough of being charged for the tiny, over-priced re-bottled sink water. Unlimited refills on ice-water (no bubbles or “gas”) are now regarded (to you) as a luxury.

3. Drinking coffee your taste-buds are familiar with.

Whether it’s Starbucks or Dunkin, you’re familiar with it and you know how and what to order. Don’t get me wrong-- Europeans have delicious coffee, especially cappuccino. But there’s nothing like what you’re used to.

OR

4. Not worrying about how to split a check at dinner.

“We do not split checks,” became a commonality when you were abroad. Then came the dreaded moment of when you and your friends got the bill and had to figure out how to split it. And the best part? You all typically only had 20€ bills because that was the only denomination the ATM gave you.

5. Having to hunt your waiter or waitress down for the check.

You waited awkwardly for the check numerous times. You're tired of waiting; they're never around when you need them. You like having the waiter or waitress ask you if you're ready for the check, not the other way around.

6. Not having to withdraw from your account as often.

You became relatively annoyed at the fact most places do not accept cards for small purchases (such as the countless scoops of gelato you had). So, you probably stopped at an ATM at least once every week. Or two or three times per week. And you always had a piggy bank's worth of coins.

You also spent a lot. Food. Drinks. Travel. Souvenirs. More Drinks. It all added up. And you ran low on funds.

7. Paying in American currency.

Wait, how much am I paying for this? Yeah. No clue. Every place you traveled to appeared to accept a different currency. Needless to say, nothing felt like "real" money.

8. Reading 'regular time' vs. military time.

I mean, it's not challenging to think in military time. But you're so adjusted to thinking in an 'am-pm' mindset that the military time is just an extra thought.

9. Needing to search for a place with respectable wifi to communicate.

You probably did it: chosen a restaurant based on the strength and reliability of its wifi. The delicious food was just secondary. You’re looking forward to be able to just use your phone without worrying about paying additional international fees.

10. Driving your car.

You had never walked so much in your life. No more taxis, just you, your car and the highway.

11. Not having to use the Maps app as much.

Every place is new to you, except your host-city. You were constantly opening the Maps app to find out that hot club or tasty restaurant your friends want to meet at. But you literally had no idea how to get there, even though it was only .42 miles away. When you’re home, you just hop in that car and drive-- no need to map.

12. A relaxing weekend.

You were on-the-go every weekend. From region to region, to country to country. You traveled a lot. But it’s exhausting-- and you just need that one weekend at home where you sit and do absolutely nothing but relax.

13. And lastly… you look forward to home.

You were here for ___ weeks/months. Regardless of your time abroad, you have those people you just can’t wait to see and those hometown things you just can’t wait to do again.