If you’re lucky enough to study abroad, hopefully you get to go with some of your best girlfriends. If you don’t go together—or if you don’t go at all—you might find yourself watching your friends travel the world without you. Sometimes it’s a bummer, like when they send you a picture of the “best brunch ever” at a little place in Prague. Other times you might be glad you’re not there, like when they’re hungover on a class field trip at 8 AM after a night in a Barcelona beach club. Either way, here are the tell-tale signs that your friends are on the other side of the world.
1. You’ve perfected the art of texting within a time frame that’s reasonable for both of you.
You’ve got about seven hours during which you’re both awake, so you can’t waste it.
2. You’re used to seeing dozens of drool-worthy Instagrams.
Just another day of scrolling through pictures of French cafes and stunning views from Copenhagen.
3. Waking up to a hundred Snapchats of your friends at some European club is the norm.
Meanwhile, you Snap back a picture of you on the morning train ride to your internship. Cool.
4. You have to listen to them pretend like they can speak French/Spanish/German/whatever language fluently just because they’re studying in that country.
¿Cómo se dice “You are not a Spaniard” en Español?
5. You’re jealous of the 5th-grade-level worksheets that they call homework.
Let’s be real: We all know we can drop the “study” from “study abroad.”
6. You look forward to hearing their next crazy story about the mess they got themselves into the night before.
“You did WHAT with a guy from WHERE??”
7. You find yourself begging your parents to help you pay for a plane ticket to visit them.
No, you’re not above using puppy eyes.
8. If you had a dollar for every time they complained about the lack of WiFi, Netflix and peanut butter, you’d be able to buy that ticket.
On the bright side, at least you’ve seen season three of Orange is the New Black.
9. You’re constantly Googling the types of foods they’re eating.
Telling me you ate a croqueta does not mean I know what you ate.
10. You can’t help but notice that they’re drinking fabulous wines from Tuscany and you’re still drinking Franzia.
Ugh. Just ugh.