I’m baaack! My semester abroad was everything I dreamed it to be and nothing like I thought it would be at the same time. To say that acclimating back to BC life is a struggle would be an understatement. So if you are like me and have noticed a void in your life, or that some things in America aren’t quite right, I have a few ways to attempt to ease the transition. They are a little bit biased towards European things because I was studying in Italy, but most can be applied to any country!
1. Stock up on your favorite snacks
Check out the international section of your grocery store for your new favorite candy, chocolate, etc., and always make sure you have a big jar of nutella on hand at all times. Also, don’t forget about imported wine and beer if you’re 21 so you can relive the glory days!
2. Decorate your room with all the cool stuff you got abroad.
Completely cover the walls with flags, pictures, and maps! (My roommate and I put up a map with pins in it for all the places we traveled!)
3. Plan your next adventure
Maybe the most noticeable way I have changed since going abroad is the extreme wanderlust that I have developed, and I’m sure you can relate. We all learned how to be expert sightseers traipsing around foreign countries, so why not take the time to appreciate the sights that you never gave a second glance around Boston. And if you somehow managed to come back not completely broke, why not plan a low cost road trip to explore a new part of the US!
4. Find a restaurant close by that makes that food you miss the most.
For example, go to the North End for Italian food, or the Paris Creperie in Coolidge Corner for the French experience, or check out one of these other ethnic restaurants in the Boston area.
5. Or attempt to cook your favorite culturally specific meal!
Invite old friends over so they can have a taste of the place you loved for X months and maybe they will appreciate your endless stories a little bit more (or at least pretend to)!
6. Hang out & keep in touch with friends from your program
If you are lucky enough to have made friends who live close by or go to BC, make sure you make special time to hang out with them so you don’t have to annoy everyone else with your stories. And even though it won’t be the same as when you were together abroad, you still have the most special memories in common to relive and share forever.
Shoutout to Parma Fall ‘13
Photo Sources:
Maria Ireland
Camilla Creatura
http://www.adventurouskate.com/bostons-north-end-in-black-and-white/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytravelphotos/5919857184/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/nutella