5 Things I Learned While Studying Abroad

1. I'm much more independent than I ever imagined

Going abroad taught me, at a vulnerable and insecure age, I could get on a 15-hour plane ride across the world and be okay. I learned to do EVERY SINGLE THING on my own. I now make my own decisions, alone. Little did I know, this is just the beginning of adulting. I honestly enjoy doing things alone, eating alone, walking at the park alone, going to a concert alone, etc etc. And sometimes I prefer doing everything on my own. 

2. Getting out of my comfort zone

I overcome my fear of doing things I don’t usually do; be it going to a class meet-up, joining a 5km decathlon run, travelling on my own. Cause I always have this nervous breakdown before doing things I have never done before. I question myself why did I sign up for that class or that session. But I was so glad I did it. Living thousand miles away from my family taught me to stretch my hand and grab that things I always wanted to do but never had a courage to do it. 

3. Be open-minded

I realized that the world is bigger than I think. Living abroad and meeting a lot of people from different culture and nationality taught me A LOT of things, I listened to their stories, I learned about their culture, I learned the reason why they did certain things. This opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities out there. And the thing about being open-minded is you learn to understand things. 

4. Be flexible

After traveling to few countries, I learned that not everything will go according to your plan and that’s okay. So, I learned to open myself up to spontaneity. Sometimes, I let my feet to take me wherever it might be without a long and hard thinking. I remember going to London to watch Fifth Harmony and only decided to go the night before, it was one of the many random things I’ve ever done and I’m glad I did.

5. I'll never be the same again

Studying abroad changes me. I never go home the same. I have travelled to 7 countries in 3 years, I have had these incredible experiences, met extraordinary people, seen things I only could see abroad and no one at home would understand this. I’ve picked up some habits that people at home won’t understand unless they go there and experience it by themselves. Living abroad just changes me, in a good way and I’m thankful for that.