From the moment you get your acceptance letter, you’ll undergo multiple stages of emotions. These all lead up to when you finally arrive in your host country. After interviewing students who will be living in Spain and Italy, it was found that most go through these five phases before they begin studying abroad. Some handled them more gracefully than the others.
1. Wait, what?
It’s the feeling that you get when you start to understand that you will be spending a lengthy amount of time in a foreign country. You begin to slowly create itineraries, plan weekend trips, buy textbooks (because many aren’t available abroad), apply for housing, and meet other students who you will be living with. It’s kind of a surreal stage where you question if it is real life or not. You feel lucky, but you don’t fully comprehend what is happening quite yet.
2. Okay, I’m ready to leave.
This is the feeling where you are simply done with everything and you are begging time to move faster. It’s the beginning-of-summer-and-I’m-fed-up-with-this-droll-existence stage. This is the longest stage in the five phases because of the anticipation that comes with it. All you want to do is talk about living abroad and all the amazing plans that you have, but you have to reign yourself in, so you don’t annoy anyone else around you. You're an equal mix of annoyance and excitement. This stage is pretty much the worst.
3. Okay, I’m not ready to leave.
When you begin to cry, realize everything you’re going to miss, or doubt your decision--you are in the third phase. You realize that you’re going to have to gorge yourself on your favorite fast foods (hello In-N-Out) and spend as much time with your friends as possible. Every day you ask yourself if you are making the right choice by spending a semester/year/summer abroad and you come up with crazy excuses as to why it’s not a good idea. Thankfully this phase doesn’t hit until you are days away from leaving and you can’t turn back because you have already paid for your tuition and housing.
4. What if…?
This is the second worse stage because you become riddled with anxiety and more doubt than ever before. What if I lose my luggage on the way over there? What if my roommates hate me? What if I can’t pick up the language? What if? It gnaws at you until you feel like one of those toothbrush things that dogs eat. Although this stage isn’t fun at all, it is also the shortest because you either A) mentally slap yourself for freaking out, or B) get slapped by someone for freaking out. One way or another, nothing will go terribly wrong and everything will be peachy.
5. I can’t believe I’m actually doing it.
This stage hits you when you are in the airport with your boarding pass and ticket in hand. It’s a deep emotional phase where you reflect on everything you have dealt with to get to where you are. Screaming and dancing is totally acceptable. You understand what you will be missing and that everything is going to change, but you are ready to face it head-on. It’s another surreal stage, but you feel some semblance to a butterfly spreading it’s wings. This one is by far the best and most rewarding stage.
