I’m going to start off by saying that I have a problem. Acceptance is the first step to recovery right? It’s gotten to the point where I’m having too much fun, visiting too many amazing places, and doing too little work. Studying for increments over twenty minutes now seems strenuous, and my mind is always wandering off and daydreaming about my next weekend excursion. Luckily, I am aware that I am falling deeper and deeper into an actual ‘la la land’ of travel and exploration, but the true challenge will be coming back from this unbelievable, once in a lifetime experience.

After traveling every weekend, having lectures once a week, and living in a historic and lively European city, I feel spoiled, and know there will be major withdrawal if I don’t start taking precautionary steps to reenter the ‘real’ world. The stress of If you’re a study abroad student, these steps either explain your current situation, or could even possibly save you from the depths of complete procrastination and relaxation that has taken over every last drop of motivation for your courses, and your ability to exert yourself. Take a look at these five phases that will most certainly present themselves in some shape or form:

1. Denial

First step is denial. This phase is at the height of the study abroad experience, in which you do not recognize that there is a problem, and that you will actually have to return to the ‘real’ world. You’ve seen so many amazing places that your mind has nearly forgotten that real work and stress still exist. This phase is often characterized by a longing to remain abroad forever, a euphoric belief that you can move to any country in the world, live a simple life in a flat near the seaside, and travel with your imaginary funds.

2. Acceptance

This is where I currently am. This is the phase where you start to wake up to the fact that traveling every weekend, partying during the week, and loving university because it is so stress free is not normal or sustainable. The fog starts to dissipate with the reality of class registration for next year, and even looming graduation.

3. Patience

This phase is difficult because it requires you to work day by day to rebuild your work ethic, and the stamina you had before. While you may only be able to work for 15 minutes straight without checking social media, or roaming on Skyscanner, your endurance to work will increase slowly day by day. This phase might require some dedication and hard work, (I know these things seem quite foreign now), but you can do it.

4. Anger

If you feel yourself slipping into a relapse, don’t panic! It means you’ve entered the forth phase to recovery, in which you’re fed up with pretending that you will be the same diligent student you were before your study abroad. You realize that you shouldn’t be striving to be that way, because the person you’ve become is stronger, more confident, and more independent than you ever were before you went abroad. You feel a sense of anger that no one understands your attachment to your host city or being abroad, or understands your struggle to slowly adjust back to the idea of going back, but know that you are not alone. All of us feel that way to some degree.

5. Recovery

You realize that you can do it. You will be able to return home, and back to your old life, and even though it may not be easy, and there will still be bumps in the road, you are reminded of how much you’ve accomplished, and how much you’ve grown while abroad, and you realize that the school work and stress that used to weigh you down before is nothing compared to the amazing things you’ve seen while abroad. Even though you still have half of your semester left abroad, you know that rather than fighting the idea of going back, you will embrace it, and use it as motivation to excel in whatever you do after abroad. Though you won’t be able to submerge yourself in the carefree life of exchange forever, the world is your oyster, and if you can travel the world on your own, you can do anything.