The Truth About Being “That Annoying Person Studying Abroad”
By Judy Lee ‘17
I’ve definitely been there. My older sister studied abroad in France when I was in high school and I remember her returning from her trip and complaining about the disgustingly large food portions America has. “There they go again,” we all collectively say, “just another study abroad student bragging about their trip that somehow makes them so much more special now.” Not gonna pretend that isn’t the attitude most people have, and the person I have come to sympathize with.
Full disclosure: you may have noticed my study abroad videos and posts on Trojans360 lately, and I am fully aware that it makes me seem like more of a posh know-it-all with every post. I also created an Instagram that has remained active for the first time ever. It is currently populated with European landscapes and whatnot. I get it: I’m that girl now.
However, allow me to explain the inner workings of what’s happening to me on my end. It may it difficult to not roll your eyes throughout this explanation, but feel free to peruse anyway:
I could barely afford to be studying abroad where I am today. Why did I do it anyway? It’s not a reason that particularly varies from why anyone would do it: to see more of the world while I still can. Soon, I’ll be starting a career that will likely tether me to one corner of the world. Why not travel later in my life, you may ask? Well, as vain as it may seem…people say that if you can travel while you’re young and able, do it. Some people grasp for this opportunity over the summer, or in a gap year after school. As for me—a scholarship student at USC that can have part of the cost subsidized by financial aid—this is probably the only chance I’d have in a long time to do something like this for myself.
You see, it isn’t that developing yourself back home is bad. In fact, the person I am today was shaped and molded by the two-and-a-half years I spent at USC. I cannot even begin to explain the amount of transformation I’ve undergone thanks to the people and faculty I’ve had the privilege of coexisting with on campus. That said, it is simply undeniable that being about the see more of the world will result in an enlightenment that cannot be obtained by remaining in one place. Given the chance, would you not take the path that I have taken?
Having been the person on the other side: rolling my eyes at all the gross punny Facebook posts from halfway across the world, I know that it isn’t enough to call myself a “jealous hater.” Do people say things about study abroad students out of envy? Absolutely. However, I truly believe that the human spirit longs to wander as time progresses. As the mind and soul burgeons, they need to be free to travel. It is this drive to also leave our mark on the world that we feel an odd, almost nostalgic, pain when we see others being able to do what our heart desired. Aside from all the petty comments and side eyeing, the root of the feeling is universal and justified.
Having the privilege of being able to let my body wander as my spirit longs to do is something I am grateful for each and every day I remain here. It is something I wish for everyone because the rate of growth and self-realization is truly astonishing. Oh, and you get really great Instagram posts as a bonus, I suppose.
