10 more things I learned on my Year Abroad

Hello, and welcome to part two of my ‘what I learned on my Year Abroad’ series! If you haven’t read part one yet, be sure to do so now by clicking on this link. All caught up? Then read on, and discover which other invaluable lessons this period of my life taught me!

People in authority aren’t always right

Before I went on my Year Abroad, I’d never really had a job. Sure, I’d done the odd babysitting gig or bar shift, but October 2018 was the first time I had a proper 9-5 contract. Unfamiliar as I was with the world of work, it took me a while to realise certain things, one of the most important being that even when I was officially lower down in the ranks, I wasn’t always going to be the inferior one.

Just because someone is higher up than you in a company, it doesn’t mean that they’re always going to be in the right, and it’s OK to stand up for yourself if you feel that you aren’t being respected or treated properly. Everyone makes mistakes, and that’s forgivable, but some people out there will be looking to take advantage of your inexperience and exploit you. If you sit back and allow yourself to be walked over, chances are that the situation won’t improve, so it’s really important to take action if you feel that something isn’t quite right. (This doesn’t apply to all bosses, by the way: I was just unlucky with a couple of mine!)

It’s OK to take sick days

Along with my misconceptions about working life came the assumption that sick days were unacceptable. Even if I was feeling really awful, it was absolutely essential that I showed up to the office each day. After all, they’d probably think I was faking it if I didn’t – or worse, they’d fire me. Wrong, wrong, wrong. People are human, and even the strictest bosses know that illness can sometimes get the better of you! Take time off work if you need to, and don’t feel in the least bit guilty about it.

It’s OK to say ‘no’ sometimes

As a people-pleaser, I have a hard time saying ‘no’ to things – or did, anyway. Sometimes I felt too guilty to turn down invitations; other times I was afraid of missing out on something great if I did. There were, however, times when I had to decline such offers – maybe I already had too much on my plate, or maybe I wasn’t feeling well – and I can confirm that the world kept spinning nonetheless. It’s OK to say ‘no’ sometimes, even if you don’t have a valid excuse: just make sure you always show your gratitude for the invitation.

Sometimes you just need to lie in bed all day and do nothing

I always feel pretty ashamed after spending the whole day in bed, but I think sometimes you’ve just got to lie around and do nothing. Everyone, whether they’re physically or mentally drained, needs to take a step back every once in a while, and just spend some time unwinding and regaining energy. You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, either. If someone accuses you of being lazy, just take it in your stride: you don’t need that negativity in your life!

You’ll find love when you least expect it

Before setting off on my Year Abroad, I was, quite honestly, a bit done with dating and relationships. After a series of less than ideal experiences (no shade), I was all ready to embrace the single life, and wave goodbye to romance once and for all. And of course, it was then – when I really wasn’t looking for anything – that love crept up on me. The man in question is no longer my boyfriend, but we did spend a happy few months together, and both learned a great deal from the affair.

I have two words for anyone desperately trying to find their soulmate: stop looking! The best relationships are the ones that come about naturally, so by all means put yourself out there, but don’t force anything. The longer you spend being single, and not settling for less than you deserve, the more likely it is that you’ll find the right person for you.

There are a lot of creeps out there

One of my greatest flaws is being too trusting. I don’t like to judge books by their covers, so even if I don’t get wholly positive vibes from someone, I’ll usually still engage in conversation with them, until they actually start saying inappropriate things. This happened to me a lot when I was working in a hostel at the beginning of my Year Abroad (read more about that here), and many of my colleagues found it quite hilarious watching me go from one creepy interaction to the next.

If someone is being too forward, or generally making you feel uncomfortable in any way, you do not have to put up with their behaviour. Politely let them down, and move on with your life: you may unknowingly be saving yourself from danger!

It’s important to make time for people back home

It can be easy to get caught up in your new life abroad, but always remember to make time for your loved ones back home. Schedule in Skype sessions, so you can catch up face to face, or, at the very least, send a few texts and emails letting everyone know how you’re getting on. Your friends and family will really appreciate the fact that you’re thinking of them, and may even try to arrange to come and visit you while you’re away!

Travelling broadens the mind in so many ways

Living in a tiny town for three months of my Year Abroad made me realise that some people’s worlds are a lot smaller than my own. Why? Because unlike me, they haven’t broadened their minds with travel. It is not my place to judge the life decisions of others – indeed, there are many reasons why someone might prefer to stay in their own country – but I did notice that those I met who had never ventured into the unknown tended to be pretty insular.

Rovato, where I was staying, was ridden with racism, homophobia, and just about every other prejudice imaginable, and I couldn’t help but think that if the inhabitants of the place had only seen a bit more of the world, their ways of thinking might have been altered quite significantly.

Living in a new country also taught me a lot about the place I had left behind me. When I came back home for Christmas, I felt almost like an outsider, so different was England now that I was seeing it from a new perspective.

You can never take too many photographs

I know it can be awkward whipping out your camera every thirty seconds, and I know that you should be taking sights in with your eyes, and not with your screens, but every time I look back on a trip, I wish I’d taken more photos. Since I started blogging, I’ve got a lot better at doing this: after all, I’m always striving to make my posts as visually pleasing as possible. However, even more recently, there are certain moments that I wish I’d captured with a camera. Memories fade, but photos last forever, so get out there and get as many snaps as you can!

You’re capable of far more than you realise

And a soppy one to end on: my Year Abroad taught me that I am capable of far more than I realise. Before setting off, all I was hoping for was to come back in one piece, but in the end, I exceeded my expectations. Indeed, I didn’t just survive; I thrived! I handled all the new adult responsibilities that were thrown at me (without having to ring my parents too many times!), I improved my French and Italian, and I established social circles in each of the places I lived. What is more, I nursed myself back to health after a concussion, got myself out of every emotional rough patch I encountered, and managed to keep myself alive for a week when I was down to my last twenty euros.

You’ll have all sorts of ups and downs during your Year Abroad, but with a bit of organisation, and a lot of resilience, you will make it through anything. Have faith in yourself: after all, you won’t always be able to rely on other people.

Over and out

So there we have it: ten more things that I learned on my Year Abroad. The past twelve months have changed my life in countless ways, and together, they make up a period of time that I always look back on with great fondness. If any of you reading have an opportunity like this thrown your way, I promise it’s one worth seizing. Not only will you gain so much knowledge during your time away, but also you will create so many wonderful memories with so many wonderful people. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and see the world: it just takes one month of living in another country to gain a whole new outlook on life.

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