Today my roommate posted a #tbt instagram from our study abroad program two summers ago. It was a nice reminder of the good times we spent in Belgium, but it also had me thinking about the things I wish I would have appreciated more while we were there.
For anyone with a study abroad coming up next semester or in the future, here are a few great things about living in new places that you may not realize are great things...
Public Transit
Train passes and smelly buses might seem like "the worst" sometimes, but weigh the benefits of not having to search for a parking spot or never needing to fill the tank and it's really pretty great.
No Open Container Laws
Since just about every place outside of the US is more lax on alcohol laws, it's fair to assume that your abroad home may allow you to pop a bottle out on the sidewalk. You may not appreciate how nice this is until you make it back home and are unsure where alcohol is actually legal beyond your front door. (Seriously though, a front yard beer is legal, right?)
Non-best friend friends
Make sure you realize how special it is to share so many memorable experiences with those people on your program that you actually barely know. You have no history with or preconceived ideas about them yet you may feel closer to them after a week than those you have known for years.
...also Best friends
If you embark on your adventure with a close pal, hold onto every strange, noteworthy and ridiculous experience that you get to have with them over there. Believe me when I say that upon your return home it will all just feel like "once upon a time" and you will want to have those memories stowed.
The bi- and tri- lingual
I realize that many of my American peers are cooler than me and are proficient in more than just good ol' English, but for people overseas it's more of an "all" than a "many." This isn't actually something I took for granted, I realized how cool the rest of the world's multilingual abilities were at the time, but I really just wanted to reiterate the awesomeness.
Lack of TV
Yes, you may take for granted the lack of TV. During my abroad experience I had no access to television and it was oh-so-liberating. Having no TV truly makes you pay more attention to your surroundings and the brain within your own head.
Everything is a new thing
I love routine and familiarity. However, not having either of these things allows you to think and act in new ways that you didn't even realize you weren't capable of before. Life in a totally new environment is a great way to tap into this part of yourself no matter how uncomfortable you may feel.
The only thing better than a "throw back" insta picture is a "throw back" inspired Odyssey post, right? So take these reflections, go to another country, and appreciate some stuff. One day you yourself can #tbt that one time overseas.
End note: S/O to the effects of social media on the way we speak. Looking back over the colloquialisms in this post I'm unsure whether or not I should be embarrassed. #2014 #insta #tbt #genY #gentwitter
