Living and Studying Abroad

As I am about to make yet another change in my life and return to Europe, at least for a bit, I have reflected over my many years on the road. The majority of those have been spent in the US as an international student, completing a bachelor's and a master’s degree in International Relations. Living abroad is wonderful, difficult, exciting, heartbreaking and everything in between. My definition of living abroad? When you LIVE abroad you have your own housing/sign a lease and pay rent, you obtain a local phone number, you open a bank account, you mingle with the locals and you may (unfortunately) have to go see a doctor once or twice and you are there for at least the majority of a year. There. That's roughly my definition of living abroad. 

As an international student, you have a love/hate relationship with your host country. “Oh how cool, we can go to Steak 'n Shake at 3 AM!” “Why is there so much readily available fast food in the US???”

You gain new vocabulary words, words connected to visa procedures and regulations - I20, OPT, CPT etc.

You learn independence. Daddy cannot come and help you when the toilet is clogged. YouTube will become your new best friend.

You get nostalgic/homesick over the most random things. At the club – “You guys, this is SWEDISH music!!! I LOOOVE Avicii, Icona Pop and Swedish House Mafia!” 

The list of holidays you have incorporated into your life is always expanding – Thanksgiving, Diwali, and Chinese New Year etc – thanks to your host country and contact with other international students. Any reason to party!

You find yourself not wanting to commit to buying a lot of things as you may leave. However, if anyone has seen another blog post of mine, discussing my lack of attachment to things, this may just be me.  And on this subject, you find yourself inheriting random items from other international students as they leave. Some very useful and some, well not.  Who needs 3 crock pots? Not me. 

You get obsessed with having good internet all the time as Skype/WhatsApp etc is vital for you. Internet goes down in your apartment and you are like a crack junkie looking for your next fix. 

You create your own family together with other international students as we are all in the same boat and don't have our parents around. We huddle together when someone needs to change apartments and help carry furniture etc. We hug each other more than may be necessary, have “family dinners” and “I love you habibi” is just everyday talk. This can sometimes appear a bit odd to outsiders. 

You may be looked upon as a student coming from a wealthy family. Who else can study and live aboard for years?! Some international students have a lot of money and backing from their parents. Others, like me, had to figure out other ways to pay for it. This may be a reason that many international students study their butts off. Retaking a class may mean they need to stay longer, get problems with visas and also a loss of money. So yeah. Some of us are naturally nerds, some just strategic planners. 

You are very excited when you are accepted into a group of local students. “Yes, I got invited to a HOUSE PARTY!!” This excitement may turn to disappointment when you realize you are in fact just a nationality to them. “Yeah this is my Swedish friend…oh, her name is Emma.” But PLOT TWIST! In the end, you will most likely find a group of friends who although they take a great interest in your home country, likes you for who you are and not because you sound like something out of a romance novel – “yeah she is a former model/hotel maid from Sweden.”

You are not sure of people’s exact ages at home because you have missed so many birthdays. Christmas may be the season you aim for to visit home, but bdays are spread out and not exactly your focus. But you became an expert on either finding lightweight stuff to mail or enlist the help of family and friends back home to help you buy gifts. 

Graduation day comes and although your family is very proud of your achievements, the biggest kick for them may be watching the faculty dressed in their full academic regalia. “They all look like characters in the Harry Potter movies!”

These are just a few, few thoughts. I could write a whole book about this. And I know I have many friends that could do the same. Living abroad is tough, but very rewarding. Hard part is, when you lived somewhere for a long time, your heart will forever be fractured and you will keep pieces in many parts of the world.