4 Things I’ve Learnt While Living Abroad

Well, the time has come. I left Canada yesterday, my home for the last 2 years and am currently in sunny California. Let me tell you, if you thought writing a blog post in a coffee shop would be glamorous, you should try it in an airport. While I was sitting in Buffalo airport, overcome with boredom, I couldn’t help but reflect on my time in Toronto, and the things I can take away from this experience of living abroad.  I know there are more, but here are 4 that I jotted down.

1. I don’t get home sick

Although I am missing Toronto already due to the fact that I am moving away for good, I don’t really understand the concept of being home sick. I can understand missing family, but for me, that’s where it ends. I consider myself to be a logical person, and I know that my family is only a flight or two away. I love travelling too much to let home sickness get in the way.

2. I am a traveller

When I left to go to Canada, my mum was not exactly thrilled about it. Letting her know that I was moving abroad only a week before I left, via a text message, was probably poor form on my part. I remember her finally accepting it and telling me to just go and “get it out of my system”. Has she never heard of the travel bug? Correct me if I’m wrong, but up to this point there is no known cure. Having lived abroad for 2 years has only confirmed that as long as I live I will probably want to travel.

3. I am resilient

When it comes to things I am passionate about, I find it hard to call it quits. This is not always a good thing, as sometimes you need to just cut your losses. However, in this situation, I think it really paid off. 2012 was a tough year, as I suffered an illness which affected me for much of the year. While some would find this difficult going through something like this on their own, for me I was simply upset that this could negatively impact my time in Canada. The thought of leaving however, never crossed my mind. I got through it and and am now continuing my travels.

4. The world can offer great opportunities

I was speaking to a girl in a bar a few weeks ago. As we were chatting while in line for the washrooms, she told me she wished she could do what I did and move to the other side of the world. I told her there was absolutely no reason why she couldn’t. She responded by advising me that she had rent and other bills she needed to pay. This is a cliche excuse and I responded by saying that those of us who do it, are in the same situation as her. Name one person who doesn’t have bills. The only difference is that I and many others have taken advantage of the opportunities which are presented to us. I am referring to things like work holiday visas, youth discount flights, overseas volunteer programs. The list goes on. The world is set up to encourage travel, so why not take advantage of it?

 

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