For the past two weeks, I've been abroad exploring the world. While I call the United States home, I've noticed some pretty large differences in the way of life while being abroad. Here's a list of 12 things that are "better" when in a foreign country (generally).
1. The candy. Have you ever had a Kinder Surprise Egg? Have you ever tried gummy worms from an open air market? No? That's what I thought. (Seriously though, they're so much better abroad.)
2. The fruit. Everything is bought from a local food stand. You can pick grapes from grapevines and lemons off of the tree. It's pretty rad.
3. The views. Living in the Midwest, a major of the time the "views" are rows of corn. It's nice to see different landscapes once in a while.
4. Late night activities, because who said clubbing in Israel isn't fun? P.S. the drinking age is 18 (you're welcome).
5. The people. Today, Sunday, my family and I needed a ride to the Old City of Jerusalem. My aunt, being who she is, ran up to a neighbor who had just gotten into his car, and asked him for a ride. The outcome? We got one. People are more generous and friendly.
6. Specifically, the children. I've found that kids are a lot more spoiled or "taken care of" in the US. In foreign countries, most children are rather obedient. They don't have the things that kids in the US do, and when they do receive presents, they are a lot more thankful than most.
7. The weddings. In my experience, foreign weddings are a lot more fun than the usual American weddings, no matter the religion. Because they are in the country that the traditions originate from, they carry more of an importance and seem more "authentic" (if you will) than in America. They're also just a lot more fun.
8. The relationships built. People here have stronger relationships. How? They actually spend time together. In visiting my family, the first 3 days of our trip, my sister and I became close friends with our cousins, who we haven't seen in 13 years. It was like we picked up where we left off. Every day, we go over to an aunt or uncle's house and hang out, talk, drink coffee, or go out together. Hanging out with your family is actually pretty fun.
9. The day trips. When abroad, you can go to different countries for day trips. While in Israel, we ended up going up North to Haifa. Haifa is near the Palestinian-Jordanian border. If we wanted to, we could've crossed into Jordan and visited family. It's the same thing in Europe, South America, everywhere. Instead of going to Chicago, for example, for a couple of days, you can go to Paris in 4 hours and it's not a big deal at all.
10. The ice cream. The ice cream parlors overseas are BOMB. There is a winder selection between sweet and savory. It's also creamier than in the United States and you can tell that it's fresh. Who doesn't like fresh ice cream?
11. The weather. Usually when studying abroad, or abroad in general, the weather is nicer than where you're from. Nebraska weather is rather bipolar. When comparing it to Israel, the weather is actually kind of nice.
12. The experiences. Overall, bonding with people, whether you know them or not, is kind of fun. Experiences teach you things, and in being in a new country, you are able to gain knowledge, and friends, that you wouldn't have been able to gain/have at home.
