Do I regret?

Before coming to Europe, I had a lot of money put aside for future expanses. When I will leave this beloved continent, I will probably not have a single penny left! This has led some people to ask me if I regretted doing this and even questioned the worthiness of this trip. For instance, when my parents came to visit me and I announced to them that I was thinking about extending my trip to work in Europe for the summer, my dad told me: “You are living in a bubble and it’s time you get out of it.” And I think the conversation ended with something like “This is not your life, you don’t belong here.” …

At that time I was incapable of rebutting. Indeed, I could not transmit to him how much this experience has made me grow, how much I learned about life, culture and myself. Living in a foreign country for six months is challenging. The only thing you arrive with is yourself, yet nobody knows you. You need to rebuild everything that you have built for…as long as you lived! It is also even more difficult for those who do not speak English very well, or the country’s language, as they can have a hard time communicating with others and simply being themselves.

Living in Amsterdam for six months did not only teach me about Dutch culture. I learned about many different cultures through travelling but mainly through hanging out with the international students. What is better than the opportunity to live with people you have common interests with that come from all over the world? Indeed, while studying abroad, you get to know people who are your age and study in the same field as you. The only thing that truly differentiates you from them is your cultural background. When do we ever get this chance? This is an incredibly enriching experience as you learn about their way of thinking and get to have an idea of how their lives are back home!

The only regret I have is to have missed out on many opportunities to get to know everyone better. For instance I let pass many “get-togethers” for unimportant reasons such as "I am too tired", and at the end of the semester, when I had no more schoolwork to do, I realized I did not know most of the students… Realizing that made me reflect on my short stay here. I was kind of disappointed with myself for not talking to all of them more often and getting to know them better. I was lucky enough to have "one last chance" to get to know them by staying an extra month after school was over. Nevertheless, if there is one thing I would change about my stay here is to never miss an occasion to hang out with the exchange students.

This was my first time in Europe and before that, I have to admit I knew little about culture. Other than going to the United States a few times, I had never really travelled. This flight ticket was even the first one I purchased! After this experience, I will definitely be more opened towards other cultures and tourists, because I was one myself for a long period of time. I will also do everything I can to travel a lot more in the future.

Lastly, although none of us feel we have learned much in school, I think we can all agree on the fact that we have learned more than books can teach us. And even though I am close to being financially insolvent, I am going back to my motherland richer than ever. I am richer because I have wonderful lifetime memories and knowledge. This whole experience was worth every penny and for anyone who is hesitant about doing an exchange, I can honestly tell you it is one of the greatest opportunities ever, so pursue it!