L’oeil convaincu (🇬🇧)

THIS I BELIEVE

I started believing in the power of moving abroad to start from scratch last July. I learnt what I believed when I left all my friends and family behind in France. Moving out from my country was compulsory for me during the third year of my diploma. That is how began my existential questioning process. Was I ready to leave all my loved ones behind at the age of 19? Was I responsible enough to live on my own? What lifestyle did I want to adopt for ten months?

Now, I believe in the power of moving abroad above all because it enriches you as a human being, and it improves your social skills. It is not about settling down alone, you will meet tons of foreigners that will friendly welcome you as if you were at home. It is not so much about you being “the new kid in town” than it is about getting used to living among them. Indeed, it is more about interacting in new languages, sharing, planning adventures. By daring to move out, you will directly learn from other people’s cultural traditions and to understand their daily habits, which may be completely at the opposite of yours. In other words, you will become even more open-minded than before.

Moreover, I believe in the power of moving abroad because each and every one of us needs to go out from his or her comfort zone at some point of his/her life. We all know what our routine is about, and we all hate it. As far as I am concerned, I can affirm you that I was not so happy with my life back in France. Of course, I had everything that I needed for my own well-being, I had close friends and a very present family. Nevertheless, I felt sad sometimes and I could not come up with the reasons. I would always be really enthusiastic when some new kind of challenge would appear, I would always be the one who organized the vacation trips, I would imagine fantastic stories about unrealistic adventures that I dreamt about. Today, I believe that those feelings are the symptoms for the need to go and explore. Although you may feel overwhelmed and completely lost in your new home, after some time you will be in total awe in front of your personal achievements. You will feel capable of doing and creating.

Furthermore, I believe in the power of moving abroad for the sensation of liberty it conveys. First of all, you will realize that material possessions are not so important, since you will have to leave the majority of your belongings behind. Having the opportunity to exchange with new people or taste their gastronomy has no price compared to owning many brand-new fancy clothes. Then, you will learn that you are powerful. You are able to achieve what you dream of. You will overcome many lonely moments that will empower you for your future goals. This being said, I believe that all your experiences will help you build your own identity and will make you stand out from the others.

Last but not least, I believe that you too should try it. Like many students, I had the opportunity to go abroad for a university exchange in another part of the world. Like many students, I was in search of freedom and change. Like many students, I suffered from the daily routine. At the end of the day, like many students, I wanted to discover new horizons. I had always promised myself to live abroad anyways.

I believe in starting from scratch as the perfect way to engage in a departure from the overrun and a beginning of something new. In brief, I believe that starting over abroad is like a second birth in the unknown. And let me tell you: it is lifechanging! 2018 was for me the year of all the changes. And so will be 2019.

Marina