Every person says it, but nobody understands unless they themselves have gone abroad. There some things they wish they would have known before going abroad. Studying abroad was easily the best decision of my life. There are crazy adventures, inexplicable experiences, and sights like no other. You experience some of the best highs and lowest lows, but in the end, every single moment was worth it. It is something that if you have the opportunity to do -- do it. My study abroad experience is quickly coming to an end and there are some things that I wish I would have known before I studied abroad.

What you expect is completely different from what happens.

You get accepted to the program, you Google where you are going, and you form ideas of what could possibly happen. Nothing you imagine actually happens, in fact, so much more happens, you can't even compare it to your imagination. You can plan all the trips and everything can happen perfectly, but it is always far more incredible.

Time goes by too quick.

First, you arrive and you have months of adventures and journeys ahead of you. You blink and you have less than a week left. I heard this so many times, and it never really resonated until the end of my semester. Do not say you can do it next weekend because, soon enough, that time is gone and the adventure is coming to an end. You would think that five months is plenty of time, but you cannot possibly see an entire country in that small amount of time. Go on trips even if you have to get up early; the experiences will be worth it.

Don't just message your family, call them.

It is extremely easy to miss your family and friends when you have not seen them in months. You miss the milestones, like a parent's birthday or a close friend's graduation. FOMO is a real thing, but one thing being abroad has taught me is that a simple phone call home goes a long way for you and your family. Being able to hear their voice and for them to hear yours is an indescribable gift. A simple five minute conversation or a two hour long phone call can make all the feels come to the surface.

You will become ratchet at some point -- accept it.

Traveling really teaches you how important hygiene really is. There will be days that you do not shower. Is not always because you did not have the time or because you are tired. It could be because the hostel you are staying in has one communal bathroom for every 100 guests and there is simply no room or time for you to take a shower. You will re-wear clothes, free laundry is a gift that is extremely unappreciated. At some point, you will do laundry in your sink or re- wear clothes. Do not judge yourself; at some point, you accept and embrace the ratchet lifestyle that you have adopted.

Do not live behind the camera. Some things are indescribable.

If there is any useful advice I can give, it is that it is okay to put the camera down. Pictures are great, and can help you remember the beauty of the land, or the fun times with friends. But because we have to constantly update Instagram, it is easy to miss what is right in front of you. Sometimes the pictures do not do justice at all. These are the moments when you just need to stop taking the pictures, put the phone or camera down, and look at how amazing the world around you actually is. It will take your breathe away.

Time zones are a gift.

For me, the time difference was 14 hours. At first, I thought it would be hard to keep in touch and that I would not enjoy it. The reality, however, the difference is a gift. It gives you a break from social media. Everything is online in the morning and there is nothing new during your day because all your friends and family are asleep. When you are studying for your exams, you cannot distract yourself because there is never anything new online. The time difference allows there to be a break from everyone and everything at home and embrace the word you're living in, now.

You grow up -- a lot.

You go abroad, the program you go through gives you a dinner, you do introductory adventures. Then you settle in, you are on your own, and everything is up to you. First, you learn how to cook, creating new recipes while also trying not to spend a lot of money at the grocery store is difficult. You have to budget money on your own without parental supervision. You have to book your own vacations. You are responsible for remembering to bring everything on those trips. You have to travel on your own, and map your way through unknown territories. I think the worst part about growing up was having to talk on the phone. It is still one of the things I hate doing most, but there is no one there to do it for you. You gain complete independence, and with that independence comes more responsibility.

Home is a relative term.

There is your true home, the place that you always return home to. It is the place that you always want to go back to because that is where everyone you love. Then there is the home you create for yourself. It is the place that you make your own when you cannot be with the ones you love. You can share it with friends or it can be your quiet sanctuary. When you're abroad, you live on your own. You surround yourself with things that make you happy. You can create your own home wherever you go.

It's not weird, it's different.

There is one I have been told since being abroad: it's not weird, it's different. I never thought I would ever say this about another country's culture or normality. As it happens, I found myself saying "this is so weird" way too often. It was never meant to be an offensive thing, but other people do not see it that way. It sounds like a judgement rather than a bewilderment of the differences. These differences are the things that blow your mind and make you want to keep traveling. It makes you want to see all the little differences that every place has. You realize that life is truly limited, but has an infinite amount of adventures. It should be a goal to see as much as the world as you can before you die because it will take your breathe away, and you will never be the same again.

Adventure is out there, it's up to you to find it.