Dear future students abroad,
I have been out of the country for approximately seven months. Having said that, sometimes I feel like I have learned absolutely nothing (language included) until I look back at my first month here and laugh hysterically at my mistakes. So for those of you that are scouring the internet looking for the sagest advice about your next year abroad (or was that just me?), I am here for you!
So here we go: the three most important things I learned while abroad...
1. It's okay to miss home.
As a kid, I never got homesick, but once I got to France it didn't take long for me to miss every minute detail about home. I had spent longer amounts of time away from home while I was at college, but there was something about knowing that I was 4,000 miles away from home that made every action a little more intimidating. If I needed a cup of tea and an episode of Downton Abbey with my mom, I would have to wait for more than half a year to get that...and I wasn't sure if I could handle that.
I must tell you, though, it got better.
For instance, I realized that I could get chocolate-filled croissants any day I wanted, whereas at home I would check the fridge multiple times and never be satisfied with the results.
That being said, there were times I would have given back all those pain au chocolats for a chance to tap my heels together three times and fly back home. You know what I'm saying, Dorothy?
2. It's possible to get better at traveling.
Before going abroad, I thought traveling was the same as all the family vacations I'd gone on: you get in a car, eat a bunch of junk food, sleep, and then wake up and suddenly you're at your destination with all you could ever want... AND EVERYTHING IS PAID FOR.
Needless to say, I had a bit of a rude awakening when I decided not to plan one of my trips ahead of time. There's the finding the bus tickets and the hostel to stay in, plus figuring out how to eat to my heart's content without going absolutely broke, not falling asleep in public areas by myself (which was actually the most difficult thing), and so many other things to take care of. By day one, I was exhausted and frustrated and much less rich than I had been 24 hours earlier. Since then, I've gotten better, but I must admit, most of the time I still feel like I'm faking it and actually have no idea what I'm doing. It gets quite emotional.
3. Know your travel style
The school I attended in France took us on a trip to Paris for a three-day vacation. Even though I'd already been there and felt pretty good about what I'd seen and what I hadn't, I was still stressed every day trying to figure out how to cram as much as possible into my schedule. It was a great time, but I left Paris feeling absolutely exhausted and bitter about my time there. Every day we'd gotten up by 7 am, and had stayed out until 8 or 9 pm, packing our day full of museums, art galleries, and beautiful tourist traps filled with people from around the world. I detested some of those days, which was also confusing because I loved Paris the first time I was there.
I was rather surprised by my reaction, to be honest. I'm a history buff, and with that usually comes the desire to visit lots of tourist attraction must-sees.
I am, however, a low-energy introverted history buff, and that makes everything a little different. The quick-paced tourist life would kill me if it went on for longer than three days that it did.
Now if you're happy to be surrounded by crowds of people everywhere all the time, I applaud you.
If you are a fellow low-energy introvert, however, it's important that you have to make sure you take the time to rest and recuperate. There are things to do in Europe besides going to the famous places. People watching at a café or reading a book in the park are still great ways to soak in the beauty of Europe, without feeling like you want to pull your hair out.
Mostly, friends, I just want to tell you that you're going to have a fabulous time abroad and that all the lessons you learn abroad will only make your time more memorable.
I wish you all the luck in the world,
Courtney MacPhee
