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My AccountMany of us have experienced a feeling known as wanderlust - a strong desire to travel. It is easy to go on Facebook and scroll through our newsfeed and find our friends sharing picturesque photos of their holidays. And it is easy to get jealous too.
A great book on the subject of travel is, Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. In it, the author talks about two monks who mock their own wanderlust by putting off their plans for the future. The story goes that when the summer time arrives, they'd plan to go in the winter. But when winter came, they decide to put off their plans for the summer.
This is something we've all done. If you're a student, you'll tell yourself "I'll take that trip to Spain after I graduate." But when you do graduate, you might tell yourself that you'll do it after your internship. And when you finished your internship, you then might say you'll hold it off until you get a decent job. You'll soon realise that you keep finding reasons (or excuses) to hold off travelling ventures.
But what if I said you could travel right now - while you study?
Many universities offer the option to take a semester to study abroad giving you the opportunity to explore a different culture in a new country.
In this blog post, I share 6 reasons why you should study abroad:
1. Because You're Young
There is no reason why older adults can't travel. But like the monks mentioned above, too many of us relegate our passions to the future.
While we're waiting for the perfect moment to go out and do new things our bodies are aging. You may finally find yourself in some beautiful Mediterranean atmosphere when you retire. But what use is it if your body won't let you explore it?
2. So You Can Meet New People
Sure, you meet new people where you live all the time, but aren't they all kind of the same? They all like the same music, eat at the same restaurants and play the same games. When you travel you meet the most interesting people.
Many factors dictate culture. The climate, local traditions, and area specific resources. Sometimes it takes decades for one culture to adapt exciting things from another. When you travel, you don't have to wait for exotic fruits to become trendy to enjoy them.
3. Because Perspective is Everything
We all become wrapped up in our own surroundings, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. What's happening locally can seem much bigger than it is. Yet, when you look at the big picture, local politics and events are minuscule in comparison.
By going to study abroad you'll gain an added perspective from different areas of the world. This will not only help you focus on the important things, it will also help you in the working world. Your diverse perspective will help you find creative solutions to difficult problems.
4. It's More Than a Vacation
When you plan a weekend outing with your family they schedule everything. See the famous structure, eat the local food, and be back at the hotel in time to pack.
When you study abroad, you live abroad. You become a part of the culture, experiencing the world through local eyes. If a vacation is like window-shopping studying abroad is like owning the mall.
5. Because Independence is Awesome
For most people, they think going off to university is the ultimate experience in independence. While going away for studying offers you more freedom than living with your parents, it isn't the same.
When you live in another country you take only what matters most. You're a stranger in a foreign land, and your past is in your home country. While you study abroad you can reinvent yourself, or not. You can do anything, and you can be anything.
6. Because Nothing Compares
Travelling almost seems like a myth. When people tell their travel stories they can't contain their enthusiasm. Many of their stories are so incredible that they end with: "you had to be there."
And that's the truth. You'll never understand how life changing travelling is until you've experienced it. So stop putting it off and consider studying abroad. You won't regret it.