In my last post (What Do You Get From College?), I mentioned that the most value I got out of my college experience was studying abroad. In this post, I would like to expand on that thought and describe just how studying abroad changed everything.
There’s something amazing about being able to move to another country for an extended period of time under the safety net of studying. No excitement can match the thrill of stepping off an airplane, all alone in a brand new place that is completely foreign for the very first time.
These are some of the first thoughts that ran through my head as I emerged in Oslo, Norway’s Gardermoen Airport. Alone, with a couple of suitcases and a contact phone number, I was at the first stage of what would become the greatest adventure of my life so far.
Instead of just recounting adventures and anecdotes from my experiences, I would like to share a list of 8 ways in which the experience has changed me and how, combined, these 8 things have changed everything.
1. Humility: Being alone in a foreign country, unable to speak or understand the language is, without a doubt, a humbling experience. Not to say that is a bad thing. Actually, it taught me to trust people, because I was completely ignorant and at the mercy of the society and it’s customs. It taught me that my way of thinking (and my country’s way of thinking) is not the only way of thinking. That’s a good thing.
2. Center of Attention: On the reverse side, it taught me about being the center of attention. Being an American in an obscure city in Norway made me a bit of a novelty. As a result, whenever I was at parties or even just places in public and people found out I was American they always wanted to talk to me which was awesome, but also a bit intimidating at first. As a result, I feel much more comfortable talking to people I don’t know. I don’t mind being in the spotlight every once in a while, and I’m a lot better at pitching who I am in a short span of time.
3. The Ugly American: It is so stereotypical that Americans travel around the world, constantly comparing everything to how it is back home and expect each experience to be equivalent lest it become sub-par. To be honest, this is something that is difficult to avoid. Especially at first. I mean, how else can we look at things except through our own cultural lens, right? But in fact, once you stop converting all the prices and comparing everything under the sun, you learn to just accept it. And when you do, the whole experience becomes so much more genuine and wholesome. This is something that takes some real practice to accomplish. Remember the saying; “when in Rome, do like the Romans do?”
4. Newness: Before going abroad, I had lived in the same town and gone on the same family vacations my whole life. My university was 5 minutes from my high school. When I found myself in Oslo with everything around me being so totally new, it gave me a really amazing rush. Newness and novelty are quick to wear off, but not if you continue to seek new experiences. Always seeking new experiences is a great way to keep your life, your work, your creativity from reaching stagnation. It is something I am now totally addicted to.
5. Spontaneity: Once I took the initial leap and went abroad, I began to have the feeling that I could do just about anything. As I began testing that theory, most of the time it turned out to be true! Sometimes it’s the best to throw out the planning and ditch the suitcase. Pack a backpack and go.
6. Push: Because my classes in Norway were virtually non-existent, I got a chance to experience Norwegian life with very few strings attached. One thing I learned is that in real life, there is nobody to push you to do great things but yourself. I spend a huge portion of the winter there just sitting in my room watching TV shows on my laptop because I was so used to the American style of schooling where we had teachers pushing us every step of the way. It took me a while to realize that if I was ever going to do anything at all with my life, I had to be my own motivator.
7. Food: I have really come to appreciate good quality food and have also realized just how scarce it is around here. American food is either too big, too sweet, or too salty! I still haven’t gotten used to it. Bread here that you buy sliced up in bags is not like real bread at all! I was also really surprised when I came back how everything from yogurt to oatmeal tasted so much sweeter than the Norwegian counterparts. Sweeter is not better.
8: M: I want to avoid all danger of sounding cheesy, but when I was living in Norway, I met a girl who totally changed my life. She changed my perspective, she changed my goals, my outlook on life. She changed everything. Meeting a person I could connect with on such a deep level in such an obscure corner of the world has forced me to think a lot about just how connected all these random events in my life have been. I have never placed much faith in the concept of fate, but it’s hard ignore just how small the chances of us ever meeting were.
As I graduate college and prepare for my next big adventure, I feel confident that I will be fine because things generally tend to work out fine if you have a positive attitude and are a little flexible. My experiences in Norway have not only broadened my horizons, but have instilled in me a wanderlust and a curiosity that I may never fully quench.
What I really want you to take from this though, is the fact that all the fussing, all the planning, all the worrying that takes place before getting on a plane or train or bus or whatever, it doesn’t need to happen. Just go. Have an experience that will challenge you in every way possible and put you so far outside your comfort zone that you’ll forget you ever had one. You’ll thank yourself later.
