You're having the time of your life and thinking about how lucky you are to be in X place with Y and Z people when suddenly, a dark thought inches its way into your happy bubble. You're about halfway through your semester abroad. *Cue the infamous Jaws music* You're halfway through your wonderful break from reality?! How did this happen?! Where did all the time go?! Well here's a list compiling some of the major signs that you've hit the halfway mark on your abroad "study" (in that order).
1. You realize that you've actually seen a lot of the things you've been planning to see for months -- if not years.
Your dreams become reality on a daily basis.
2. You start to become really clever when it comes to finding the cheapest options to continue having fun.
Let's be honest, that student discount has saved you many times already... on that note...
3. This is your reaction when you look at your bank account.
Whoops.
4. You realize how hard it is to motivate yourself academically anymore.
That's you every time you try and start an assignment...
5. You start to wonder why every major monument has to have 1,000 stairs.
Why couldn't these medieval people have invented elevators yet? Didn't they know how high my cholesterol would be now?!
6. You have to get a running start to fit into the clothes that fit you fine two months ago.
7. It starts to hit you that people back at your home college are actually continuing their lives like normal -- even though you've been gone forever.
How dare they?!
8. You start feeling like a local wherever you're studying -- even if no one else sees you that way.
9. You start judging tourists -- and your abroad friends start saying things like, "I just don't want to do the touristy things."
We are all tourists.
10. You start to pick up all the trends in whichever country you're staying in... Example: On the metro in Denmark like:
Small talk is not a thing.
11. You start to feel a little homesick but also have so much anxiety about leaving the amazing place you call home now.
I don't understand how I feel.
12. You remind yourself to stay in the moment and just soak it all in, because you're experiencing something life-changing and awesome.
Can I stay abroad for the rest of my life?