Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Lifestyle

8 Life Changing Moments That You Are Sure To Have When You Travel Abroad For The First Time

There truly is no other replacement for these invaluable lessons.

Ally Miller

Apr 23, 2019

University of North Carolina

8 Life Changing Moments That You Are Sure To Have When You Travel Abroad For The First Time

Ally Miller

If you're still on the fence about taking a summer trip overseas, here are eight things you should consider when making your decision.

1. The moment you realize the people you're meeting grew up on the other side of the world.

Giphy

Nothing puts the world into perspective like having a conversation with someone raised on the other side of the planet. The conversation, perspective and life lessons are invaluable. Before you know it, your life long best friends will in an entirely different time zone.

2. The moment you realize you are surrounded by buildings older than the United States.

Giphy

There are few things more humbling than sitting down on the side of the street and leaning against a building built in the 1100s. There are town structures hundreds of years older than our oldest American artifacts, take that in for a moment. Imagine the sheer number of people who have sat exactly where you're sitting.

3. The moment you wake up surrounded by the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen in your entire life.

Giphy

It can be so easy to get caught up in the activities and the friends and the photo taking and forget to look around every once in a while. The scenery you see every single day is breath taking. There are few other times in your life that you have ever seen anything so gorgeous. Take a picture or two, set your phone down and appreciate your surroundings.

4. The moment you have a conversation that opens an entirely new perspective.

Giphy

It's really easy to think you know it all until you have a five-minute conversation with a new friend and realize that everything you were so sure of is actually only part of the story. Believe it or not, there are things that the US could do better. There are ideas and thoughts that you may have a limited perspective on. Listen more than you talk, and you'll be a better person for it.

5. The moment you meet a family that has lived in the same town for more centuries than you can count. .

Giphy

All of a sudden the "famous" family in town that has lived there for 100 years has NOTHING against the villa owners that have owned their land for 10 generations. In the grand scheme of history, the US is toddler-aged — if that. There is nothing that will give you a historical perspective like meeting these incredible townspeople.

6. The moment you try the best food of your entire life.

Giphy

Turns out, America ripped off a ton of international cuisines, and let me tell you, they did not do a great job. Trying pizza for the first time in Europe felt like an entirely different type of food. Spending money on eating out may be a waste in the United States, but not overseas.

7. The moment you realize that the world has more to offer than your hometown (no matter how great your town is).

Giphy

The realization that your hometown or home state is just a dot in an otherwise enormous world feels like the most liberating realization in the world. A few days after stepping foot on foreign soil, you'll realize how much there is to see.

8. The moment after you leave and can't wait to go back.

Giphy

No tears hurt worse than the tears of a departing flight. The memories, photos and relationships will last a lifetime, but you won't truly respect your time overseas until you land back home.

Going abroad for the first time is terrifying, but the lessons you will learn will never leave your heart or your mind. Traveling is an essential part of a well-rounded respectable person. Don't wait. Don't stress. Just do it. You'll thank me later. Heads up though, once you go once, you'll catch the travel bug.

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

University of Dayton

1224

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less

library

Student Life

26 Things to Thank Our Roommates For

Who knows where we would be without them.

Michigan State University

847

StableDiffusion

Where do we begin when we start talking about our roommates? You practically spend every moment with them, they become your second family and they deal with you at your best and at your absolute worst. They are there to make you laugh just a little harder, cry a little less and make each day a little better. We often forget to thank them for the little things that they do to make college even a tiny bit easier and more fun. This list of 26 things are what you should thank your roommates for right this minute and every day that you live with them.

Keep Reading...Show less

roommates

Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Butler University

6897

Disney magic kingdom castle on new years

StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less

disney movies

Recommended for you

8 Life Changing Moments That You Are Sure To Have When You Travel Abroad For The First Time

There truly is no other replacement for these invaluable lessons.

1. The moment you realize the people you're meeting grew up on the other side of the world.

2. The moment you realize you are surrounded by buildings older than the United States.

3. The moment you wake up surrounded by the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen in your entire life.

4. The moment you have a conversation that opens an entirely new perspective.

5. The moment you meet a family that has lived in the same town for more centuries than you can count. .

6. The moment you try the best food of your entire life.

7. The moment you realize that the world has more to offer than your hometown (no matter how great your town is).

8. The moment after you leave and can't wait to go back.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

Money

Socks

Blankets

Gift Cards

Hoodies and Sweatpants

Pajamas

Subscribe to our
Newsletter

Hairbands, Clips, and Bobby-pins