5. You Could Meet the Love of Your Life
Now I realize that this is very personal and subjective, but it is quite possible that you could in fact meet your future wife/husband when you are living abroad. How do I know this? Because it happened to me, and it was something that I did not even think to expect when I embarked on my study abroad adventure. And I am not the only one that this is happened to. In fact, there are many stories of college students traveling to another country, only to be struck in the heart by Cupid's arrow. For instance, here's an article in International Student Voice Magazine that chronicles such a romance:http://www.isvmag.com/it-started-on-top-of-the-worlds-steepest-street/.
4. You Realize that the Things at Home You Thought Made You Happy Were in Fact Doing the Opposite.
Studying abroad changes you- there's no question about that. But a dramatic change can occur that really alters you perception of life (if you let it of course). When studying abroad, you meet new friends, new people, experience different cultures; and what can happen is when you return, you begin to see that the routines you were comfortable with at home were in fact dull, boring, and stale. Living in another country will most certainly snap you out of any rut you were experiencing before leaving, and will push you to seek out new and adventurous hobbies and people. During my stay in England, I met people who were open-minded, caring, and accepting, making me realize that the friends I had back home were anything but. It can be shocking, and quite frankly scary to come to this realization, but once you do your life will begin to improve dramatically.
3. You Realize that America is not the Greatest Country in the World
OK, let me be clear- I am not saying that America is not a great country. It is, and I love living here. But when you immerse yourself in another culture for an extended period of time, you start to understand that there is more than one way to live a life. People in other countries may not have as much convenience as we do here in the States, and they don't have access to gas guzzling pick up trucks, but what they do have is a greater sense of community. For the first 20 years of my life, I was under the impression that America could do no wrong, and that every other country in the world strove to be like us. Of course, I was dead wrong. Living in England, I saw thriving city centers, pedestrian friendly cities, and an advanced public transportation system. When I came back to Alabama, I saw deserted downtowns, inhospitable cities for walkers, and no sign of buses or trains to connect the suburbs to the city. The more we learn from other cultures and begin to address the real problems we face here in America, the better off we'll be. Sending more students abroad would be a big step in the right direction.
2. You See that your Diet is Scarily Unhealthy
I know, this seems like a weird one, but it's true. Americans, perhaps more specifically Southerners, are guilty of one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony. We indulge ourselves far too much on fast food, fried everything, and sugary soft drinks with 100g of sugar in every bottle. The rest of the world, however, does not. A lot of countries eat much fresher and less processed foods, supported in part by still thriving, open-air markets selling fresh fruits and veggies. You know how there is a fast food restaurant on every corner in your hometown? Not so in England, where fast food joints are a lot harder to come by. Oh, other countries will still serve you up a plate of pure fat and calories, but just not as often, and you won't be bombarded by it everywhere you look.
1. You Start to Understand your Place in the World
The more people you meet, and the more cultures you experience, the more you begin to see yourself not as merely an individual, but rather as a piece of a much larger puzzle. You start to believe that this individualistic culture we live in today perhaps is not that great, and rather being a part of a much greater function is more fulfilling and gratifying. You see that you offer something unique to the world, and that your abilities need to be utilized to construct a more positive and advanced society. It sounds far-fetched and idealistic, but the world is full of dreamers working everyday to turn those fantasies into realities.
Go study abroad. See for yourself.
Rule #7 for Breaking into the Field of International Education: Appreciate what you have learned from your time abroad, and apply it to your everyday life.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/zack-wright/49/b26/265
4. You Realize that the Things at Home You Thought Made You Happy Were in Fact Doing the Opposite.
Studying abroad changes you- there's no question about that. But a dramatic change can occur that really alters you perception of life (if you let it of course). When studying abroad, you meet new friends, new people, experience different cultures; and what can happen is when you return, you begin to see that the routines you were comfortable with at home were in fact dull, boring, and stale. Living in another country will most certainly snap you out of any rut you were experiencing before leaving, and will push you to seek out new and adventurous hobbies and people. During my stay in England, I met people who were open-minded, caring, and accepting, making me realize that the friends I had back home were anything but. It can be shocking, and quite frankly scary to come to this realization, but once you do your life will begin to improve dramatically.
3. You Realize that America is not the Greatest Country in the World
OK, let me be clear- I am not saying that America is not a great country. It is, and I love living here. But when you immerse yourself in another culture for an extended period of time, you start to understand that there is more than one way to live a life. People in other countries may not have as much convenience as we do here in the States, and they don't have access to gas guzzling pick up trucks, but what they do have is a greater sense of community. For the first 20 years of my life, I was under the impression that America could do no wrong, and that every other country in the world strove to be like us. Of course, I was dead wrong. Living in England, I saw thriving city centers, pedestrian friendly cities, and an advanced public transportation system. When I came back to Alabama, I saw deserted downtowns, inhospitable cities for walkers, and no sign of buses or trains to connect the suburbs to the city. The more we learn from other cultures and begin to address the real problems we face here in America, the better off we'll be. Sending more students abroad would be a big step in the right direction.
2. You See that your Diet is Scarily Unhealthy
I know, this seems like a weird one, but it's true. Americans, perhaps more specifically Southerners, are guilty of one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony. We indulge ourselves far too much on fast food, fried everything, and sugary soft drinks with 100g of sugar in every bottle. The rest of the world, however, does not. A lot of countries eat much fresher and less processed foods, supported in part by still thriving, open-air markets selling fresh fruits and veggies. You know how there is a fast food restaurant on every corner in your hometown? Not so in England, where fast food joints are a lot harder to come by. Oh, other countries will still serve you up a plate of pure fat and calories, but just not as often, and you won't be bombarded by it everywhere you look.
1. You Start to Understand your Place in the World
The more people you meet, and the more cultures you experience, the more you begin to see yourself not as merely an individual, but rather as a piece of a much larger puzzle. You start to believe that this individualistic culture we live in today perhaps is not that great, and rather being a part of a much greater function is more fulfilling and gratifying. You see that you offer something unique to the world, and that your abilities need to be utilized to construct a more positive and advanced society. It sounds far-fetched and idealistic, but the world is full of dreamers working everyday to turn those fantasies into realities.
Go study abroad. See for yourself.
Rule #7 for Breaking into the Field of International Education: Appreciate what you have learned from your time abroad, and apply it to your everyday life.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/zack-wright/49/b26/265
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