The Reality of Living Abroad pt 1

Naked truth coming up. Brace yourself.

Living abroad ain't as glamorous as it is often portrayed.

You might be asking "wait, you actually bought the idea influencers sell of how perfect their lives are when they travel?" And I might be just blushing a little bit at the truth you just deduced...

Anyway, I am not saying I was that naive to think that moving abroad was going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time but I did have a pretty cool picture of it in my head and when I actually got to experience it I was left feeling sheepish about my nonrealistic notions of what it really was like. I do not dare say it was not worth it, or that the good times did not outnumber the bad ones. I just mean to take off your blindfold and help you understand what you will be facing if you take this step of moving abroad that way you know what to expect from it.

Let us begin with the fun, bright side: Pros

1. New experiences and new people. The thrill of leaping off the edge, plunging into new adventures, and taking the chance to encounter people who will make a mark on you forever is simply priceless and something that will surely make you forget the harder times.

2. The food. It sounds silly but this for sure is the best thing in the world, I don't know of a country that does not serve an amazing type of food. Trust me, this is a "pro", for your taste buds at least.

3. A chance to begin from scratch. A new place means new people, new culture, and a new way of doing things. It gives you the chance to be yourself from day one as no one around you knows the "old you", it is a wonderful opportunity to let your walls down and avoid bad habits of not allowing yourself to be free before others.

4. Unlimited time for self-improvement. It depends on what is the purpose of your living abroad or away from home, but most likely you'd be by yourself (at least for a short while at the beginning) and that means it is a time to take care of yourself, to know who you are for real when no one is around you. It is a time to reflect and realize the true value of being in someone's company. This might sound tacky but it is true and something I myself have experienced. Believe me, reunions with friends and family hit differently when you have been apart for a long time.

5. Bonds with family and friends become stronger. I am the first to admit fault for thinking that I would never be homesick if I moved far away. Not that I do not love my family, I really do, but the adventurous part of me always won over and I never really gave much thought to what it would feel like not seeing them every day. In summary, I faced a hard truth when I was slapped in the face with their absence. But on the bright side, I discovered that I did really love them, I realized how much they really meant in my life and what a difference a familiar human figure is to help you feel good (if that makes sense).

This is of course the "good" side of it, in part two (shortly coming up) I will discuss the cons of the list. But they are not as bad as you would imagine, especially considering the pro list. I highly encourage you to take that step into following your dreams. I do advise a lot of responsible and sensible character in this process, it ain't something to be taken lightly (if you don't want it to be a disaster). But I can only speak for myself, you'll know what I mean once you plunge into it yourself ;)

P.S.

Make sure to check out part two of this article.

God loves you,

Dear Ordinary Caro