You'll never be the same after studying abroad. Living overseas is a unique experience you'll never forget. It will change the way you see the world and yourself. You won't even realize just how much you've changed until you returned back home. It sounds like a cliché, but every former study abroad student will be able to relate. Study abroad sayings will begin to spill out of your mouth before you can even catch yourself — and you're totally OK with that. There are certain things study abroad students say that nobody else will ever understand.
Studying abroad might be the highlight of your college years. It's an opportunity to ditch your comfort zone and completely immerse yourself in a different culture. Inevitably, this experience has long-lasting effects on you. You'll be so excited to return home to share all of your memories with people you've known and loved your entire life. However, it won't be long before you realize that your friends back home just don't get it. You'll long to be surrounded by your abroad friends who understand where you're coming from. All study abroad students have found themselves saying a few of these phrases since they returned back home.
After studying abroad, you'll definitely be the girl who starts every sentence with, "That one time in...". I don't blame you, either. Studying abroad will leave a mark on your heart, so it's natural that you'd want to share those experiences with everyone you know.
The memories you made will be fresh in your mind for awhile, so you'll find yourself wanting to relive them. Your hometown friends will eventually begin to roll their eyes when they hear the words come out of your mouth, but you really can't help it. If they experienced all that you did, then they'd want to share their adventures, too.
You'll definitely sound like "that girl" whenever someone asks where your gorgeous, Italian-made leather handbag is from. After all, you stuffed your bag with souvenirs before returning home. All of your favorite clothes will now serve as a reminder of your incredible time abroad, and you won't be able to shut up about them.
There's no turning back now. You've had some of the best coffee in the world, and now your local coffee shop at college just doesn't compare. You won't be able to stop talking about the best "insert random food here" you had when you were studying abroad. You've been spoiled by authentic foods and the freshest ingredients, so the replicas back home just won't cut it anymore. If you studied in Florence, you'll find yourself wishing you could fly all the way back for one more taste of gelato and pizza. Now, you're forever ruined.
Sure, it's a cliché, but everyone who's studied abroad knows you never return the same. The experiences that you have will stick with you for eternity. You'll try to explain that to your family and friends back home, but they just won't understand unless they've done it themselves. You'll find yourself missing those late nights wandering the streets of Spain or eating dinner with your host mom in Portugal. Your photos and memories will have to hold you over until you return.
Your friends will seriously think you have a problem. After studying abroad, you'll always long to return. You'll find yourself searching for cheap flights for a quick getaway at the drop of a dime. You thought that you'd cure your travel bug after spending a semester overseas, but now your bucket list is longer than it's ever been. You realize that there is so much to experience and see in this big world, and you're on a mission to make it happen. Your wanderlust has only just begun.
Everyone should try to study abroad while they are in college. The experience will leave you with memories that are worth sharing.
