Moving away from your home country is like stepping out of your cocoon. We sometimes find ourselves sitting in a crowded bar and discussing about our homelands or other times simply sharing our experiences about leaving.
The desires to step out of the comfort zone vary. Some of us take the plunge to add few more degrees to our CV, or to accompany a loved one, or sometimes because we feel the need to evolve and experience; in all the cases the fear of being in a new country is euphoric, scary, nostalgic and challenging all at the same time. Here is a list of experiences you might be able to relate to if you’ve ever lived abroad.
- You’re less scared of uncertainty
Once you’ve taken that plunge, you know you can take many more. Living abroad makes you realize that uncertainties you deal with on a daily basis are actually a bunch of ambiguities that make you stronger and more prepared for the next adventure.
- You learn to read maps
If you’ve ever lived abroad, you know that there have been moments when relying on digital maps wasn’t possible because of an untrustworthy internet connection, that’s when you learnt navigating your way using the real paper maps.
- You know the importance of cooking
One thing that everyone realizes while living abroad is that you won’t find cooks everywhere you go and that cooking is something that’ll make your life easier. While living in another country there are so many things you need to manage, including expenses. Spending even a small chunk in the restaurant on a regular basis would make a huge difference to one’s pocket.
- You learn to economize
Living in a new land makes you realize the importance of economizing money because life in a different country is full of surprises – the good ones as well as the bad. You realize that money plays a vital role right from buying a bus ticket to paying the house rent and grocery. So living abroad makes you prioritize the things you need to buy over things that you want to buy.
- You make friends and lose some
Making friends is an important part of living abroad but it is also true that the sometimes, due to change in geographical location you fail to maintain the friendships back home.
- You feel extremely lonely and home sick
It seems all flowery and too-good-to-be-true from outside but it isn’t always the same. Those who have lived abroad or on their own would know that there are times when you feel inexplicably lonely and you miss your family, friends, relatives, food, your room and all the attention you used to get back home.
- You realize that getting ill back home was better
Since there is no one around you to deal with your tantrums and your mood swings, even falling ill sucks when you’re living abroad.
- Little pleasures make you the happiest
Living abroad makes you understand that sometimes quality conversations with an unknown can make you happier than getting yourself clicked in front of the Eiffel Tower.
- You start seeing your home country from another perspective
Never before in your life you heard of so many different things your own country could be known for in the outer world. You not only become aware of different perspectives, but also develop a whole new outlook towards your country of origin.
- You learn a new language and get closer to a new culture
Living in a new country is not just about geographical explorations, it also makes you curious about the new language and the cultural richness it carries with it. Even though the principal idea to move to a country was not about learning the language, you naturally get immersed in it and become comfortable with the idea.
When you live abroad, you learn and evolve but at the same time you know that some part you is still living back home and even in a new land you keep that part safe inside you.
