Most people dream about being able to travel to new places they have never been to before. Lucky for me, that was exactly my life growing up. I was lucky to have opportunities most adults do not. I was able to grow up overseas. There are so many advantages to growing up abroad! My dad is in the Air Force, a large branch of our United States military. A perk of being in the military would be the opportunities of traveling and being able to live abroad. When I was in first grade, my dad was stationed overseas in England, a country over in Europe. At this time I did not know how awesome this opportunity was, in the end it was pretty amazing!
1. Culture Shock
Growing up in a different country full of different people, you start to realize that your life is influenced by these different cultures. Greeting people can be extremely confusing, especially if you kiss people on the check in your adopted country, but give a handshake in your native one. The way you conduct yourself and your body language is a mix of both cultures, you will only realize that you are different when someone mentions it.
2. Geography Is Your Friend!
Unless you are me, geography is a piece of cake! You will have a solid grasp on where things are located in the world and it is not because of your world history classes in school. Living abroad has inspired you to be curious about the world.
3. Becoming An Extrovert
You move to a new country and you expect to continue being an introvert? Wrong. There is about a 99 percent chance that you’ll become a strong, confident person. It’s almost impossible not to be after years of meeting new people on what feels like a daily basis. Mastering the art of small talk is an absolute certainty. You will become one heck of a people person!
4. Maturing At A Young Age
Being immature is basically no longer an option. Foreign countries have different cultures and different views on everything, you can no longer laugh at something childish. When going into a new country, you have to try and fit in to these customs.
5. Adaptability
It's like being an animal: You have to be able to adapt to your surroundings, no matter where you are! Being able to fit in is important, and if you don't want to conform 100 percent to the normalcy, that's fine, but do your best. If you do not try, you will become roadkill, and we do not want that.
6. Frequent Flyer Miles
Do you really travel if you don't have a ton of miles? Frequently flying back and forth to visit family and friends will not only make you a confident traveler, it will also allow you to build up air miles which can be used to enjoy anything from free flights to an upgrade to business class. A childhood abroad sets you up for a life abroad!
Living abroad has so many advantages, I can't even list them all. I definitely have to credit my opportunities of living and traveling abroad, to what I am going to school for. Traveling all over influenced my decision to be a travel major. I am definitely thankful for it all!
