Hello Cuties,
As many of you know, I studied abroad in France this past summer for 6 weeks. I lived in Nice for four weeks and Paris for about two weeks, I lived with a host family in both places. Just like many other study abroad students say once they return home from a trip abroad, it was life changing. When you return from a trip abroad your perspectives change and it can be hard to explain these feelings to people at home. I wanted to write about these feelings you get once you return home from study abroad, whether it’s five weeks or a year, the feelings are the same.
When you are abroad you meet so many wonderful people from all over the globe. You are put in situations where you must think for yourself. You experience life in a whole new way. Then, you return from study abroad and you are happy to be reconnected with home, but then after a few weeks you are ready to go back. We call this the travel bug, and once you have it, it’s hard to get rid of. It’s the urge to return to the country you visited, or any country for that matter. It’s the urge to be surrounded by these magical and whimsical people again. This can also be referred to as “Wanderlust.” At this point in the semester, I am finding myself missing France very much. Beyond missing France, I think I miss the adventure.
When you are abroad, your experiences are new and different almost everyday. When you come home, it’s back to the same old routine with fewer new experiences. That’s why this travel bug illness sets in. You crave that “high” you were living on in your host country. Depression is also a common stage to undergo post-study abroad. There is a couple of quotes that I have read that explain this feeling better than I can, but even then, you cannot fathom this feeling to the people in your life who have not experienced this type of thing.
This is where you usually are defined as the “annoying” study abroad student of the friend group. You always talk about your travels and what you did here and there. To some it’s annoying, but for you it was life changing, how can you not talk about it. You can’t take this piece of magic in your life and ignore it. Hanging out with some fellow study abroad friends will allow you to get passionate about your trip in mid conversation because they too will understand the feeling. I’m not saying all your friends and family will be annoyed like this either, but it’s something you become more aware of when you return. You will learn people do not care.
I can try to interpret these quotes and feelings to non-travelers and to you, if you are unsure on how to express the feeling.
Here is one quote that clicked for me: “This is why once you’ve traveled for the first time all you want to do is leave again. They call it the travel bug, but really it’s the effort to return to a place where you are surrounded by people who speak the same language as you. Not English or Spanish or Mandarin or Portuguese, but the language where others know what it’s like to leave, change, grow, experience, learn, then go home again and feel more lost in your hometown than you did in the most foreign place you visited. This is the hardest part about traveling, and it’s the very reason why we all run away again.”
Basically these two quotes put my feelings in perspective. It’s not because all the people I met were the same and I was comfortable, it was actually the complete opposite. They were so different and so magical.
So, whether you have traveled outside of your native country or not, this post may put into perspective why people who have traveled can’t stop talking about it. It truly is life changing to experience other cultures and hear other peoples thoughts on the world, they may be completely different from yours or they may be identical and I think that’s the magic of traveling. Connecting with strangers, meeting people from across the globe and befriending them in seconds, only to never see them again. You are never completely home again once your heart falls in love with the world.
For me, personally, I experienced a lot overseas. Not only did I realize I was settling for so much in my life, but I experienced a tragic life event (terrorist attack) that opened my eyes to life. I think people often forget how precious life actually is and when you experience an event like so, you learn that every day is not promised. Life is truly a gift and it is what you make of it. If you wake up and complain about how horrible your life is, then guess what? Your life is going to be horrible. But, if you decide to live everyday to the fullest and embrace even the small moments, then you will find true happiness. I also think that’s why traveling impacts so many lives. When you take a huge leap to step far outside your comfort zone, you realize all that you are missing and the things you once feared are much smaller. Then, you return to your comfort zone, and you’re confused. That is why I chose to get a tattoo in Nice, not just for the spontaneous adventure with my friends, but to remember that every day is not promised and you must live every day outside of your comfort zone.
I really hope this post can clear some things up for travelers and for non-travelers. It’s tough making that switch, but it’s also an exciting feeling to live with. Knowing you have friends all around the world is amazing. If you are a person who has yet to leave the country, you need to start planning now. I know traveling overseas is a pricey investment, but it is worth every dime. I would love for my readers who have been abroad to share their experiences in the comments or on social media. Thank you all for reading today!