A man who does not live abroad, have never seen the other side of life

I remember the day when I packed my things in a suitcase and packed my brain with bright and shiny dreams preparing to leave the homeland to a country I have never been to before. I remember all the faces that were surrounding me at that time, each of them had his or her sort of mentality about how the life could be overseas, I am pretty sure that most of them have pictured it as having a picnic in a very cool place. I can fairly say that none of them thought of it as a really tough mission, even ME.

The inevitable outcome of living in a foreign country is to experience some stress, anxiety, and homesickness. So, the first few weeks away from home were quite rough on me, but as far as I know, I coped with it in a very healthy productive way. Most importantly, I stepped out of my comfort zone and realized that I could function indecently without family and friends, and this is a huge accomplish for me.  

I gained a new perspective on the world, and I learned so many things about it that I could never learn by sitting in a classroom in my homeland or even reading a book. My professor always refers to us (the international students) as the knowledgeable global citizens, which is kind of cool to feel that you do not just belong to one part of the world, you are actually belong to the whole world because of the multicultural community you are immersed in.

My life here in Canada allows me to meet people whose not only come from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and communities, but also have unique skill sets and competencies, nurtured by life experience.

I have the opportunity to experience different cultures, languages, food, and traditions that are completely different from what I know or what I have seen on TV. You get also to meet like-minded individuals and we experience so much together and they will be lifelong friends.

In a nutshell, living aboard has presented me with so many extraordinary opportunities, to give back, to volunteer and to touch so many lives along the way.

Living in a foreign country on your own takes a lot of energy, a lot of guts, a lot of determination and a lot of dealing with annoying experiences. No one said it would be this easy but it will be eventually.

Love my life here and I would encourage everyone to pack their bags and buy the ticket.