The Reality of Living Abroad
After studying abroad in Europe for about eight weeks now, I have learned all the ups and downs of living in another country. From the outside, studying abroad looks like nothing but fun and amazing experiences. Although that is true and I have experienced the world like never before, it can get uncomfortable and difficult at times. Taking on a new culture, living space, diet, and an entirely new environment all while taking classes can be difficult. I wanted to share some of the struggles of life abroad, not to discourage this experience, but to show what’s not talked about as often.
Culture shock is one thing that is widely mentioned about when going abroad. Taking on a new language, customs, and daily routine is not easy. For me, starting off in Milan eight weeks ago was not too difficult because of how much excitement I had for the summer ahead of me. We were able to pick up on basic Italian and learned day-to-day interactions and routines. The culture shock really sunk in a couple weeks into the program when it no longer felt like a trip or vacation and home felt farther and farther away. This is when I realized I needed to adapt more to the culture around me because it was home for the next four weeks. I eventually got a good routine going in Milan and was well adjusted but then it came time to leave. Just two weeks ago we transitioned from Milan to Madrid, and it was time to take on a new culture. Luckily, I know a bit of Spanish, but I am still in a state of culture shock as I learn what I can do to make myself more comfortable and adjust to Spanish customs.
Another big factor of studying abroad is your residence and living space. Some programs have students living with host families while others, such as ours, provides a school residence with individual rooms similar to dorm living. No matter the living situation, your room or residence never truly feels like a home. As someone who is a big homebody this has been particularly difficult for me. Returning home to blank walls and empty shelves isn’t the most motivating environment and I never realized how much a few pictures and personal items can do to provide that feeling of home. In an attempt to counter this dreary feeling of an empty room in my room in Madrid, I have decided to prop up a few magazines and books I’ve acquired on my travels to make the place feel more alive and like myself.
Adjusting to a brand new diet and array of food options can also be a big change when living abroad. To begin with in Italy, it felt like I ate pasta or pizza five times a week which is something my body isn’t used to. This is simply what was easiest because it was available and convenient even for cooking. As I adjusted, I began to cook more and get back to a more normal diet for myself. However, it would never completely return back to my typical diet at home because food options and groceries are different. Adjusting again to Spanish food has been a bit more difficult because I am more unfamiliar with it than I was with Italian. On the other hand, I do enjoy exploring new foods and discovering what’s available in different countries. I even have a few go-to European food brands that I favor now and will purchase if I see them in the grocery store. However, I don’t think I’ll be able to eat any kind of bread and cheese combination for a while after I get home.
Amidst these changes comes the actual study part of studying abroad. Again, this varies from program to program. Some programs are culture-based and focus more on exploring cultures and learning practices, while others are education-based allowing the students to explore the culture on their own. My program is more education-based as we are earning an entire business minor while being abroad, which calls for 15 credit hours of business classes. In a typical semester back at Auburn this is normal, however crunching a semester-long class into two or three weeks makes it difficult. On top of this, trying to adjust to a new culture and wanting to go out, explore, and have the European summer of your dreams makes it even more difficult. Studying for tests and staying on top of everything is hard at times. Additionally, taking on new subjects such as finance and accounting is also challenging as I am not used to learning that type of material. Thankfully, for the most part, our professors and program directors have been very supportive and understanding as they want us to get the full experience abroad and succeed in our classes.
Being far from home for an extended period is also difficult in itself, and I’ve learned it’s important to prioritize mental health and stay in touch with friends and family. Going into this summer I figured being abroad would be like any typical semester when I’m hours away from home, but adding all these changes takes missing home to a new level. It’s not only missing home but missing the consistency and comfort of knowing my surroundings. It’s also difficult dealing with such a drastic time change when it comes to contacting family and friends. Additionally, as someone who struggles with mental health at home, I knew this trip would be hard for me at times, and it has been, but I am very lucky to have a good group of friends on this trip and we all look after each other. However, it can still be difficult to say no when the whole group wants to do something because I don’t want to miss out on an experience. It can also be difficult to find proper alone time when there’s always something going on. It all comes down to finding a good balance and prioritizing what I need at the time. I’ve also found it important that my friends and I here are all communicating with each other on how we are doing or feeling so we can all help each other out.
Overall, I have loved my time abroad so far and I’m looking forward to these last four weeks and all the adventures that still lie ahead of me. I feel that it’s important to shed light on these aspects because studying abroad is not just what you see on Instagram or the stories you hear. In fact, if you even looked at my Instagram right now my experience here probably looks perfect. I do HIGHLY recommend studying abroad to anyone and everyone because this experience has taught me so much about the world and about myself. I will come home as a new version of myself; more knowledgeable, tough, and confident than I’ve ever been.
