So In case you don't know I am studying abroad in Seville, Spain for the semester. This means from August to December I am doing school work, blogging, taking selfies, exploring, eating, and making videos all in Spain (and in some places in Europe). Right now i am hitting the half-way mark of being here and it is a bitter sweet moment. You easily find yourself stuck between being sad that your time is already halfway through and excited to see your family and friends at home. Being a study abroad student in one area specifically for a semester can be hard. I'ts easy for the first month because you are filled with excitement, and every place you go to is new and exciting. On the days you don't have plans to go travel around you can easily spend your time at a local tourist spot (alike my article on tourist spots to hit) to take care of your boredom. However one thing no one ever told me was the month after can actually be the hardest. The number one thing you must understand about living abroad is you are doing just that. You are living in a different area, but you will still come across the same issues. Living means the luxury of "vacationing" or what I like to call the "honeymoon phase" only last a month, then you are literally pushed into the reality of normalcy. This obviously isn't a threatening phase, but can be extremely unnerving coming from the honeymoon phase. What I mean by normalcy is you have days where all you want to do is watch a movie while it rains outside, you find yourself sick and in need of a lot of R&R, or you come down with a case of the blue's and unfortunately you don't have your parents or friends from home to ease you back out of it. The one thing you have to remember is that all of this is okay to experience, you are not meant to have extravagant adventures EVERY day. When living abroad you have to remember that you signed up to truly LIVE alike the locals and something you will find out is that you actually have a lot in common with them. Just like them, you will experience anxiety about school, lazy days, boredom, and everyday regular problems that can occur back at home. Everyday life abroad is not always a giant party or extravagant trip, sometimes it can be a simple day of reading in the park while enjoying a local sandwich like "Tortilla De Patata", going shopping at the local mall, or even seeing a movie. When you hit this mid-way point you have to keep yourself level headed, and remember that its okay to have these type of days, I know its exciting to constantly be traveling and going on adventures, but some days the biggest adventure you may have is finding a restaurant to eat for the night. If you find yourself experiencing study abroad blahs, try to find daily activities that you can do during the week like going for a run, planning a study session at the local library, keeping up with your favorite TV show from home, and even going for a walk. What I found was that some of the most memorable night's are the ones I did not plan and involved a decision on a whim to go on a walk or to go get some Gelato in the center of Seville. Remind yourself its okay to experience both sides of studying abroad, and if you ever need suggestions of places to go, ask local students, check online or even check blogs like these for suggestions. Just relax, enjoy each moment and remind yourself every moment boring and exciting is worth it.
Till Next Time,
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