You gain a wider perspective of global issues.
Studying abroad totally expands your worldviews. Because you are studying things in a different country, with people from different countries, you become more educated and opinionated about worldly topics that you may not have ever cared to research or discuss before. For example, the collapsing economy of Greece or all the crises in the Middle East (this one in particular for me since I was studying in Paris at the time of the ISIS attacks). Since you will likely meet other students from countries all around the world, you'll inevitably learn about what goes on in all the places where they live.
It still feels weird being able to speak English to people again.
I studied abroad in France, and I'd already studied the language for many years, as well as getting better at it while living there, so I grew completely used to speaking French to everyone I interacted with outside of my English-speaking friend group. If you know the language of the country you study in and speak it frequently there, it will still be running through your head even weeks after you return to the US. I now instinctively say "pardon" instead of "excuse me" or "sorry" to people (because that's what they say in France to excuse themselves)!
You refer to your post-secondary education as "university" rather than "college".
At least if you study in Europe. Europeans call their post-secondary education "university" (i.e. "I'm in university" or "I went to university at X school") instead of "college" like us Americans do and so you'll grow used to doing so too. It even feels wrong to say "college" now, especially for me because in French "college" refers to middle school.
The differences of the drinking age are hard for you to adjust to.
In the US, as we all know, the legal drinking age is 21. In Europe, it's 18. It's difficult to return to the States and know that if you are not 21 yet you can no longer waltz into a supermarket and casually purchase a bottle of wine, or think about what bar you and your friends will go to this weekend. Especially if you're like me and have returned with still almost 7 months to spare until you turn 21.
The lack of (high-functioning) public transportation is also difficult to adjust to.
Although this is not the case in all of Europe, many European cities, Paris being one of them (and quite likely places outside of Europe too), have public transit systems set up to run all over the city. Metros and buses are more prominent there. Paris also has a tram and a RER, which is a network of large trains going to other French cities. It is much less necessary or common to own a car in Paris and many other European cities because the transit is so efficient. In my opinion, if the States was more like this, life here would be easier. Major cities in the States have transit systems like metros and buses too but their service is mostly horrible and they aren't nearly as common. It's a pain to go from that to needing to drive everywhere again.
You become (even more of) a history nerd.
Because you realize how much you never learned in middle school and high school history. I did learn a lot about French history before I studied there but it really takes physically being in a place to learn as much as there is to know about the history of it. I got to visit many ancient historic sites in Paris, some of which I'd never even heard of before. Also, travelling to other regions while you study abroad definitely makes you realize this. For example, when I visited Budapest and Prague during my time abroad (two of the five other European cities I went to) I had not previously known anything of Hungarian or Czech culture, and it wasn't until I did learn about them while there that I came to realize I had never once been educated about eastern European history. Or history of many other regions of the world, for that matter. When I took a class on the history of sub-saharan Africa, I also realized how much African history I'd never been taught. And what about Kurdish history, Slavic history, Australian history?Since then I've constantly questioned why there is so much information left out of what American students are taught in their history classes. And now I feel like I want to learn the stories of every country in the world. There is still so much to learn.
You're kind of in denial that you've left your city for good.
Don't get me wrong, three and a half months is a h*lla long time to be in a foreign country. Returning to the States and seeing your family and friends after all that time is definitely a great feeling. Especially when you're dating someone and finally get to see them again!! But it's hard to accept that when you leave the city you've studied in and all the friends you've met there, that you're not returning. You don't know the next time you'll see them again. It feels weird for me to think about how at this time just three weeks ago I was still in Paris with the amazing friends I've met there and now I'm...not. I can't just hit them up to go out on a Friday night again or ask them if they want to walk down the street to get food together after class.
You will never stop thinking about everything you experienced abroad.
The friends you meet, the food you taste, the sights you see, the streets you walk. All of it. It remains with you forever. I have only been home for a little over two weeks but I already realize I'm not going to forget all the memories I made this semester. Both good and bad. I know I'll always remember what it was like to be there during the ISIS attacks because terrorism was never something I'd experienced firsthand before--and I'd never been so grateful for my life. It's kind of crazy to still ponder that night and think, Wow, I was there. I'll also always remember the little things I can't experience here. Like how it feels to wander into a bakery and luck out by grabbing a baguette fresh out of the oven. Or how clear the air feels walking down the streets of Paris at night. Or waking up at crazy hours every time I was about to travel somewhere.
Most importantly, I still think about the friends I've met. I haven't bonded with any group of people quite that quickly before I met them and I'm still part of the group message we created on Facebook, because even if their conversations aren't relevant to me anymore I don't want to lose them. However unrealistic this may be, I constantly hope I'll see them all again someday, as well as our city.
When you spend almost four months in a whole new country with a whole new group of people, there are definitely a lot of adventures you can never forget!
