5 Things I Learned After A Year of Living Abroad

One year ago today I quit my job, sold all my things, packed my bags, kissed my loved ones goodbye, and hopped on a plane from New York to Barcelona. It’s hard to believe that I have been living abroad for a year now, but that is why I decided to embark on this journey 365 days ago… because life goes by so fast even when time feels like it is moving so slow.

There have been a lot of ups and downs. A lot of calling my mom and crying. A lot of asking the question “What the f*** am I doing here?”, without being able to provide the answer. A lot of “I can’t believe I’m here” moments. A lot of “I don’t belong here” moments. A lot of “This is exactly where I’m meant to be” moments. And through it all, I’ve learned a few things about myself and what it takes to live abroad. So if you’re thinking of doing the same, here are a few things I learned along the way that you should be prepared for before you embark on your own life-changing journey:

1. Learning a Language is Difficult

When I moved to Spain I did not even know how to say, “Me llamo Casey.” I came here knowing zero Spanish and am currently at an A1 (beginner) level. I took Spanish classes for a few months, but they were difficult to always attend, especially when trying to make a living teaching online. Since Barcelona is a major city, almost everyone here speaks English. Add in the factor that I’m an extremely shy person, when given the option to speak in a language that I can barely communicate in or in my first language – I’ll always choose the latter.

To make matters worse, as a language teacher I consciously chose to learn a language the worst way possible, by studying a textbook and flashcards in the comfort of my own home. I know that this an impossible way to learn a language, and I tell this to my own students all the time – the best way to learn a language is to live it and to speak with native speakers as much as possible.

So before you embark on your journey to whatever country you will be living in, try to start learning the language beforehand. Not knowing a language should not prevent you from moving abroad as you will pick up a LOT once you get there, but in order to make your life more comfortable, it helps to have some sort of foundation to work from.

2. You Need a Thick-Skin

With the above in mind, there have been numerous occasions where I have been yelled at and laughed at in Spanish and was unable to respond or fully understand the situation that happened. You feel totally helpless, like a small defenseless child being bullied on the playground. It can be extremely frustrating and quite honestly it can hurt. But you learn to pick yourself up, brush it off, and head back out there for the next awkward encounter.

3. Love Is a Universal Language

Now I’m not telling you that if you move abroad you will find the love of your life, but I’m telling you that it is a definite possibility. You may not find the love of your life but you will find people that you can relate with from countries all over the world. For me, I found the love of my life my second day abroad (more on that later). It was pure luck (or fate) that our paths crossed and it amazes me every day to be in such a loving relationship with someone whose native language and culture are very different than mine (he is Portuguese and I am American – talk about opposites attract!).

But I am not just talking about love here, you will form friendships that are even stronger than your friendships at home because the people you meet abroad will become your family. You will have more in common with these people than you can ever imagine, because they are in the same country and the same city at the same time as you for a reason and that means something.

4. Travel Will Make You Rich

Ok so your bank account won’t get richer, quite the opposite actually, but you will become rich in life experiences – and honestly I would take that over money any day. In just one year, I have traveled to 9 countries and so many beautiful European cities that I can’t even count them all. I have learned different languages and customs and interacted with locals who I never would have met otherwise.

So many of my friends back home working the 9-5 have never even left America, and here I am traveling from one country to the next like it’s nothing. Travel changes you at your core and with each new experience you peel another layer of yourself to discover something new that you never would have brought to light if you didn’t put yourself out there in the world.

5. You Create Your Happiness

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again because no one should be ashamed of their current or previous mental health status, but before I moved abroad I was extremely depressed. There were a lot of factors that led me to the decision to move abroad and I had to take a look at what exactly was making me unhappy. During my first month abroad my depression was still present and even more amplified due to my foreign surroundings. It was then that I realized that moving abroad didn’t solve any of the problems that I previously had. Instead, I had to create my own happiness in this new setting in order to fully experience and achieve the life I always dreamed of.

And now I can honestly say that I have never been more happy in my entire life 🙂

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