As I get my stuff together to get ready to study abroad in Spain, I've heard a lot of things. One and most important part is that it is the best experience you'll ever have.
But one common misconception is that you will not have fun unless you're single. This is also a misconception in college as well.
It's time for us to end that stereotype.
The one and only thing you cannot do while dating when abroad is hooking up with a stranger in a foreign place. That is the only thing. Yeah, communication is important too but not hooking up with a stranger is literally the bare minimum you have to do to keep your special someone around. Try cheating in other ways, like on your diet with the delicious food there. Maybe take on another pastry at breakfast or stuff yourself at lunch before your siesta.
You can still travel the world, enjoy going out with your friends, go to restaurants, and take in the place and culture around you. None of that requires being single. You don't need that hookup culture to have a lot of fun — besides, if you truly see a future with someone and love them, then it's in your best interest not to let go. So, feel free to go to that bar, go to that nearby country or city, or wander around the city you're staying in; you're still free.
The good news about having someone to bother 24/7 (and they have to deal with it because they love you) is that you have someone to message or Facetime randomly to tell them all about what you saw, read, heard, or tasted that day. You might make them a little jealous, but they can take some of your experience with them and live vicariously through you. Plus, you have someone to speak to about new places and friends you've made, or even random people you met.
It's not going to be easy, it's going to be a little tough to stay in contact when you're hours apart and your daily life and sleeping schedules do not match up. However, just sending or receiving a text from someone so far away when you wake up, is one of the first things you want to see, especially if it's a cool story about being abroad. So, try to communicate as much as you can; it's so easy nowadays!
Studying abroad is about stories: the good ones, the bad ones, the funny ones, and the ugly stories of traveling to a foreign place. It might be helpful to have a support system there, but also having someone who truly knows you at the touch of your fingertips. It's likely that you'll start to get homesick, and there's nobody that feels more at home than your significant other (well, maybe your mom too).
At the end of the day, no matter what, having a significant other shouldn't be the reason why you don't study abroad, and studying abroad doesn't mean you need to quit being in a relationship. It's all about the fun and experience.
