Very short introduction this time around. I want to get right into the meat of the topic so let me give you the Best Lessons learned from my experience living abroad. No doubt some of these will speak to you.
Here we go!
1. Believe in Your Ability to Figure Things Out
Going abroad means leaving all that you know and trusting that the picture you have been molding in your head is going to unfold before your eyes. For some, it is a silly thing to want to risk it all or leave it all. For others, this is the most amazing and thrilling experience to prepare for. It was for me.
As beautiful as this sounds, this is also one of the most challenging journeys you can face. And a cycle that continues to throw you for a loop again and again. It did it to me, ,even when I thought I had a good handle of myself. Looking back, I can say that no matter what came my way, I was able to figure things out (after all, I’m still alive!).
The muscle has been practiced and is still keeping momentum.
2. Your old peeps’ may not be your besties forever
Ha! This one was a realization years down the line, when visiting home. You realize that you have lived so many things, been through places and circumstances no one back home can relate to. And words cannot paint the picture or speak those feelings well enough.
This excitement lives in your bones. Though, in response to it people equate your bold adventure with “luck”, wish they could do what you did (when they clearly can) or just nod at your overly pumped up energy telling all your stories.
To them, you became that overwhelming reminder of how uninteresting they feel about themselves and this is not always well received.
That childhood friendship may begin to lose flavor from that point.
Talking about that, you may also like my post about How to Meet New People and Build Successful Friendships While Traveling.
3. There is true Kindness in Humanity
During your travels, what you come across is the pure kindness of people willing to open their home to you. You entrusting their generosity, them embracing yours. It is breathtaking. With all the horror we hear of in the world, it is hard to imagine that so much kindness actually exists. I have experienced anonymous people in line deciding to randomly pay for my order, someone taking me places while I was only asking for directions, many personal stories that I keep dear to my heart.
Most people are kind and willing to help, even though the media’s favorite is to show a world that falls apart.
4. As long as you stay determined, Your Goal will Fall into Place
There is no magic formula, stay determined, curious and consistent and you will reach your desire. You will nail it right on the head or land in a different place. Yes, because often we only see a portion of the dream and when it materializes it becomes so much bigger. Other times, it ends up completely different simply because there is a more appropriate focus for the stage you have grown into.
Giving up is your only barrier to things falling into place.
5. Always save for rainy days, they are the sneakiest
Life has some level of unpredictability, and being abroad, on your own, takes that risk much closer to the edge. Most of those times, you need to get yourself out of difficult situations alone, without a support system.
Money does not buy happiness, they say, but it surely grants you a warm meal, a cozy place and peace of mind for tomorrow. That in addition to being resourceful, thinking of plan Bs, planning ahead form your best arsenal.
Staying on point for the rainy days will be your immunity to misery.
6. “Grinding” should not be forever
As an outsider, “making it” is your Holy grail. You did not come here to play (at least not only for that). Coming this far and failing is unacceptable. Therefore grinding is your badge of honor.
So much so that honor started to get a little twisted over time: you forgot to switch that off! Grinding should not be the goal of life. But after doing it for so long, quite difficult to unwind.
The advice I give to myself (use it for you too): Slow down baby, breaks are actually the magic sauce of all success.
7. You will better appreciate your country from a distance
Okay! Here is number 7 on my best lessons learned from my experience living abroad.
Being abroad made me realize how unaware I was of my own country. Also, how much it was admired or disliked by the world. I only knew very few of these stereotypes and misconceptions.
By seeing other’s doing things a certain way, you notice there is actually “a way” that you do things. Finding this out was just hilarious to me. I never really questioned some of my basic day-to-day habits. I was just brought up that way.
From there began my awareness, curiosity and desire to research why cultures do what they do. Fascinating stuff that also teaches you plenty about who you are and to reflect on who you intend to become.
8. No Matter What, Part of You will Always Feel Like an Outsider
Your country of origin will continue to be just that. There is a common past that you will never have with your new residence, songs you sang as a kids, playground memories, favorite (or not so) dish, friendships, hurt, joy that are embedded in a certain way of living that is foreign to whoever you are now interacting with. “Cultural” jokes are not always making sense and exchanging perspectives may reveal many gaps.
This is the beauty of diversity though, a breath of fresh thoughts and ideas we bring to each other.
9. Home is not a physical place it is where your heart twinges
Prior to traveling, your definition of home could resume to just a few words to describe the house you grew up in, that school you made friendship from, your neighborhood, your family. The longer you stay abroad, though, the more your home extends to a larger piece of the world.
Your concept of home becomes that heartfelt experience in all that is unfamiliar to you, not as much about the physical.
10. The itch for adventure may never go away
Being abroad makes you realize how blindfolded you were about the world. Such adventure makes you curious and wonder what’s next for you. What else is out there that you have not yet discovered?! You have grown, matured. How much better can you become with another experience, something different, new skills, new mindset, new awareness…
Once that door has been opened it is a difficult one to close.
11. Adventure makes you complete
Adventure helps you understand yourself better. What you like, dislike, what you are made of what you are willing to do, what your standards are, how far you are willing to compromise your beliefs. Your survival mode, your selflessness, your sensitivity to the world around you. Things that you may have never found out in a “metro – boulot – dodo” routine.
What does not break you makes you stronger and you are surely getting loads of these breaking points here.
12. Money is not what makes a dream happen, resourcefulness is
This one is my favorite out of all my best lessons learned from my experience living abroad.
Had I waited for a fat check to go abroad I would have never gone anywhere… This does not mean being reckless and leaving without a dime in your pocket either. It essentially means leaving with enough resources to give your dream a chance and be bulletproofed for a mess up.
For me this meant, enough to get my flight to the destination, pay any agency fees if applicable, get situated once there and an emergency flight back home if I needed to flee.
Being resourceful extends way beyond money, self-confidence and faith in your dream is plenty sufficient.
13. You LOVE your peeps, man! And Even more from abroad
Being away from your peeps’ will give you new appreciation for who they are and even how irritating they can be. Who knew you actually liked to be annoyed?! You definitely learn to cherish those moments around loved ones making a short visit full of quality time, catching up on the time away from each other.
Bickering for nonsense even become memories you are fondly re-immersing yourself into once alone again.
This also teaches you to be more empathetic, accepting and expressive with all the love you have to share. This one may truly be my favorite lesson from my experience living abroad.
14. Don’t take life too serious, it is your playground and your mind has all the toys to spice it up
Our life can be taken away at any time. You may have had your own experience of someone close leaving too soon. This is always a reminder that life is short and such a waste to lose yourself in tons of worries.
We focus so much on making the right decisions, on not failing that the enjoyment is only very minimal. Having fun, relaxing is seen as being irresponsible. You’ve got to suffer to be deserving. This is very sad to say the least.
What is lively about being dead serious all the time?!
15. Don’t forget to Smile when you look back
There are so many accomplishments yet to be reached that you always jump into the next wagon, out of breath and out of time. You rush to do as much as possible, as fast as possible but never really look back.
Ambition is amazing though to thrive in it and enjoy the ride, you must take some time to savior the journey. If you were to look back right now, what memories are making you proud?!
What is truly you are those proud memories. Although you are, right now, chasing better ones, these put juice in your engine, they remind you how strong you are and should always be celebrated, especially in times you doubt your abilities.
I can look back and shake my head at how bold and crazy I have been, and I am damn proud of it!
Here you go! Some of my best lessons learned from my experience living abroad. Have you been living abroad, somehow away from home? Can you relate to some of these points? What is one of your most valuable life lesson? As we always say, our post would not be complete without your input so leave us a mark in the comment section!
Until then.
