Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Things I have learned living abroad...


...you change as a person. This can be in a multitude of ways. For me, I have been able to say what I want and to stand up for yourself. I have been able to speak up when things are not working out or when I'm not happy. I've always been a "don't rock the boat" type of person so this is a whole 180 for me. And it feels good. Without it sounding swarmy or cheesy, you realise your worth and that when you're undervalued you need to speak up or step out or seek changes.
 
...time is very important. Never underestimate how little we all have. When you're only faced with a year you realise weeks, months, days matter in a way they never could. You can't take months to make decisions, you can't let shitty moods take over your entire week and cloud it, you can't stay or do things in the hope that stuff just needs time to get better.
...you will miss your family and friends and your whole previous life in varying ways. There are times when I have a bad day and realise I have no one here that will be there for me no matter what in the way your family is "obligated" to. There are times when I wish I could be transported back to my old flat, my old room, even my old car to just feel like things are going to be alright. There are times when all you need are the arms of a familiar friend to wrap around you, tell you you are loved and make you feel okay.
 
...you will meet some of the nicest people in the world that you instantly click with and wonder where have they been your entire life.
...you will also meet some of the not-so-nice people in the world and thank whoever in charge that you have been spared them for the majority of your life.
...you will avoid all social media because it can be a sad reminder of the life you left behind and how surprisingly the world has moved on without you. 
 
...you will also stalk all your friends online to ensure you don't miss a single moment of their lives so things never change. and you'll have friends who are still friends no matter what.
 
...you will apply hundreds of jobs and question your worth, your skills and your competence. You will get rejected by Starbucks (happened to my friend, also called Allison), you will be forced into group interviews and you will never hear back from people.

...you will do some jobs where you get unlimited praise, you will feel like you have achieved something and you'll feel great.
 
...you'll realise the same problems follow you everywhere and just shows that the world is not that different. Work will be hard or unfulfilling, boys won't call you back or be mean to you, there will be mean girls, there will money problems, there will be traffic problems, you will get caught in the rain without an umbrella and you will question why you made these life choices daily.
 
...you miss little things like getting coffee with your work besties, swapping stories the morning after with your girls and gays, your crazy family lunches, the taste of your mother's cooking, hugging your niece and nephew and your favourite bars and clubs.
 
...you realise how important it is, to have your house feel like a home. You feel like you can do anything if you start off from the right place.
...little things matter. Whether it's getting a cup of coffee every day or hanging up pictures of your friends and family, treating yourself to new clothes and nail polish, if they are your favourite things, they will make you happy. 
 
...things happen for a reason.
Ex-Oh! Ex-Oh!

1 comment:

  1. I am vicariously living through you, I wish I had the balls to move away on my own but I haven't yet but I love seeing how you are doing with it all! I agree, things do happen for a reason

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