Before studying abroad, I knew there would be speed bumps both when leaving and returning, but some of the difficulties have been rather unexpected. When I arrived in Spain and began eating Spanish food, I quickly started to miss so many foods from the U.S. I missed eating pizza, popcorn, pancakes and so many other foods. While I enjoyed the Spanish cuisine, I was wishing that I could just have a nice big brunch. However, before I knew it, I was wishing that I could stay in Spain forever and I would have given up brunch to do that. Coming back to the U.S. hasn’t been easy, and it will take some time before I’ve completely adjusted to these five things especially.
1. Sleep, get on it right away.
Even if you haven’t studied abroad, we’ve all heard that re-adjusting your sleep schedule both when you leave and when you return is a difficult task. The best advice I’ve both heard and will now give is to get on it early and don’t take naps. It’s really difficult to not fall asleep when you’re jet-lagged and it’s late in the night back home, but giving in to the urge will only make it more difficult to adjust to the new time zone. It’s been just over two weeks since I’ve been back and I’m pretty much back to normal. Fixing your sleep schedule isn’t hard if you make an effort.
2. Enjoy the food while you can.
When you’re gone and the food culture is different, you miss all the foods you’re accustomed to eating and then some. I can’t even count how many conversations I had about what food we missed the most, what food we were most looking forward to eating upon our return, etc. By the time I got back, I wasn’t craving the foods I had been missing. I was craving the foods I’d been eating all semester. As much as I’ve been enjoying all the foods I’ve missed, I now miss Spanish food.
3. If you go home, don't be surprised if it's weird.
After coming back, I spent two weeks at home because I didn’t think I’d be ready to jump right back into my life on campus. I was quite surprised at how strange it felt to be back. My house was exactly the same, but I was different and that in turn made my house feel different. Thus far, it still feels strange to be in the house, but with time, it’s beginning to feel more and more familiar.
4. When returning to your campus home, also don't be surprised if it's weird.
Similar to my two weeks spent at home, coming back to campus was also strange. Moving into my house brought unexpected relief. It was a breath of fresh air and felt less strange than it felt when I was at home. However, being on campus is weird. There are subtle differences that I pick up on and they add to the eccentricity of being back and walking around.
5. Have patience with your friends and family.
One of the most unexpected speed bumps I encountered, though I should have seen it coming, is how I’ve changed as a person and how that, in turn, has affected the relationships I have with other people, among other changes that have occurred in the time I’ve been away. This might hit you hard when you return, who knows. All I can say is that it just takes a matter of time and communication to either get back on familiar ground with people or you realize you’ve outgrown them and it’s time for you to part ways.
Overall, studying abroad was the best experience of my life. While it was hard at first and it's been difficult to be back, the experience is most definitely worth it. The stereotype that it really changes you is true if you let yourself out of your comfort zone and if you form long-lasting relationships with amazing people. Everyone has a different experience and a different story to tell upon their return, but we can all share some great memories together.
