Why YOU should study/live abroad for a year (or more)!

What makes a practically perfect experience even closer to perfection? Sharing it with your friends! Studying abroad has changed my life in an even bigger sense than the "moving thousands of miles from home" sense--yes, that's possible--because living abroad has changed my perception of my past, my happiness in the present, and the outlook for my future. It's been the greatest experience of my life, and it had a number of incredible opportunities in my life to debunk to take that crown. A huge part of the impact this experience had to do with the length of my stay, and the fact that it turned an experience into a life. So, I thought I'd share why I think you, yes YOU, should work/study abroad for a year or more, and how I think you can do it! I only have a few points so I won't get too long-winded, but I hope you find me convincing!

1. Traveling has innumerable long-term and short-term benefits. Like happiness! Travel is great for keeping yourself sharp, cultured, and engaged in the world around you. It's a great way to learn about other people and yourself, and the benefits of travel are expounded upon by everyone who has the opportunity. You'll never regret it!

2. Moving and studying abroad is accessible for almost everyone, if you do it the right way! While I will admit that I don't have personal experience moving abroad for work, a lot of my friends in the expat community here in Jordan packed up their cozy jobs back in the U.S. for the abroad life here in Amman--with no regrets. Studying abroad, on the other hand, I have plenty of experience with! It breaks my heart when I hear people talking about study abroad as though it's this impossible thing that they can't fit into their graduation plan or their budgets. This doesn't have to be the case. I remember feeling much the same when I signed up for my first summer study abroad program two years ago--I had no idea how I'd pay for it, and I'd been hard pressed to find a program that had courses that fit into my degree. When I came back from that trip--my first time in Jordan--I decided not to let the Education Abroad system keep me from making the most of my college experience. While EA at UK did a lot to help me fit into the pre-existing program that took me to Jordan in 2014, when I broke the mold to create a program tailored to my own needs and budget that fall, they resisted at every turn. But creating your own program is definitely the way to go! Figure out where you want to go, and start doing your research. Look up universities, language programs, or internships in your country of interest and start making contact with everyone you can! Most people will be very helpful, but don't be surprised if you have to be persistent to get responses. Not going through an established program will lower your budget by a LOT, and you'd be surprised how quickly your own personally-tailored experience will fit into the budget you already have for university. Make sure to go through your university, as difficult as it might be, if you want to use scholarships or grants, which is what I did, and living and studying and traveling in Jordan has been less expensive than going to university in Kentucky! If you'd like me to expand more on how the program I'm doing now got up and rolling, and what kind of budget to expect, let me know in the comments or on our contact page, and I'll write another blog post just focusing on this issue!

3. Living abroad for a year is VERY different than a shorter program (and better). While I know that moving abroad for a year is daunting, it's that very fact that makes it such an incredible thing to do. I was lucky enough to get to "test" Jordan for six weeks before moving here, I've met many people here who jumped in head-first. If you know you're a homebody who won't be happy away from the comfort of friends and family and the familiar for that long, you can try and budget for a return trip at Christmas or the summer (which is what this homebody is doing!), but I don't think you should resign yourself to staying home or opting for a shorter experience. The homesickness WILL wane and go away eventually, and once you get in the groove in your new home you won't want to leave! I've found that many of my friends who did shorter study abroad experiences remained in the partying, rose colored glasses stage with their host country. What's more their host country remained a host country--and not a home. When you're living somewhere for a year the glasses come off and the partying comes to a screeching halt when you realize you can't budget it for another 9 months. You go from "studying" abroad to "living" abroad. The host becomes home, and you become a part of your community, rather than a spectator in it. This is when you make the best friends, create new families, and get to really know and love the country you're living in. A healthy relationship doesn't stay in the honeymoon phase--you really get to know someone when you're bawling them out for leaving the toilet seat up again. It's the same when you move abroad--go big, and don't go home.

4. The hardest part is getting up and deciding to do it (seriously). I'm not saying that there won't be hard moments later on, but the moment that will make or break your ability to go is when you decide to do it. It's kind of like going to the gym--once you get there your butt is kicked, but you're already there and it makes more sense to just keep going, the hardest part is rolling yourself out of bed and DECIDING to go. Once you have the will to go, you'll find a way, because many have before you, and because it's not impossible or even improbable! Our world is so connected, globalized, and so easy to figure out from the comfort of your mobile device that the only thing you have to worry about is budgeting, and even that isn't as scary as you think it is. If you think you'd benefit from moving abroad (you would), or that it is something you'd be interested in (it should, it's awesome) then decide you're going to go now--and figure it out from there.

5. I promise, you'll never regret it. Living abroad gets better when you get there. Again, being somewhere for a year means it's real life, and not a vacation, but there's nothing like a change of scenery, food, faces, and culture, to spice up your perspective on life. Being in a hot, primarily dry environment where it's sunnier and warmer for longer did amazing things for the yearly droop I go through when it gets dark and cold in the winter. New foods kept me excited and eager to explore my inner foodies, and helped me stay healthy (Mediterranean diet, yo). Of course, there's unhealthy food and bad weather everywhere, but it can be easier to see the silver lining in the darkness when you've got a gorgeous and unfamiliar view, and who has ever been depressed by new ways to ingest fried or sugary foods?!

Aside from little perks like these, studying or living abroad can have huge professional benefits. If you're interested in working abroad long term, uh, this is how you start! But even if you want to work in your home country after your time abroad, living abroad is a huge boon to your CV or resume. Showing your gumption, ability to thrive in new and unfamiliar environments, and language skills, are all things future employers will infer from your exploits abroad.

Finally, you're going to fall in love with traveling (you will). And once you move abroad, traveling will be a lot easier, primarily because you'll already feel like you're on one big trip, and adding a little more travel won't be that hard. It's also easier because you've done the big travel moving yourself abroad and weekend trips will feel like nothing! Once you make traveling a priority you'll be surprised how easy it is to keep doing.

And finally...

6. Living abroad will make you so, so grateful. In case you missed it, I have another post on the blog talking about graduating and thanking everyone in my life that helped me get to Jordan, and you'll see just how mushy and grateful an experience like this can make you. (OK, I'm an extreme case, I'm very mushy already). Living in Jordan has made me so thankful for my family and support system back in the U.S. and for all the opportunities my parents gave me or pushed me to take advantage of that have helped me get here. It will make you grateful for everything you've had, and for the new life you've created for yourself. There's something about seeing the planet from a different angle that makes you constantly awed by the creation around you. There's so much to be thankful for, and traveling is one of them. You'll be thankful while you're abroad, and even more so when (or if!) you go back to your old home.

There are so many things that I would add to this but I wanted it to be a little more encompassing and a little less expansive, so I cut and made broader all of my points. Any questions, suggestions, or requests? Leave a comment or contact me on Facebook, I'd love to help you make the decision to travel abroad! Thank you again to all my beautiful friends and family for all the support and love I get from them. Have a wonderful weekend!

-A