SPOTAHOME

For many, many centuries people all around the world would leave the comfort of their homes and families behind to travel to far away places in search of something. The great explorers like Captain James Cook or Vasco Da Gama, the great religious figures like Saint Anthony of Padua, the Buddha and Mahomet, not to mention inventors, writers, artists, musicians, these personalities have always left the known for the unknown. But why? Here is a list of 9 things that WILL happen when you move abroad.

1. You get a glimpse of what the world is really about.

The more you travel, the more similarities you will see between cities, landscapes and people. After a while, you will realise that there are no real differences between your country and your people and the place you moved / travelled to. Yes, of course – the language, the food, the culture will be different, but deep down you will appreciate that we are all the same. If you travel and look at the world with an open mind, foreigners and tourists in your home country or city will no longer look like some strange people from far away – you will welcome them for who they are: people like yourself.

2. Life becomes easier.

When you travel, especially for a long time, you will face the tricky situation of having to look for a roof over your head and buying the essentials for survival. For once in your life, you will go back to basics and think about what really matters. You will hardly think about buying new things as you will have everything you need. Having so little (and so little to worry about), you will start to appreciate the little things, and suddenly, all the luxuries you once had at home won’t be as important as the ability to enjoy your life in simplicity.

3. You become a better person by moving abroad.

Whether you travel or move abroad, you will learn something new about yourself every single day. You will not only learn another language and culture but, most importantly, you will increase your patience, flexibility, your adaptability as well as your ability to help others. Your confidence will get a boost, and you will learn to adapt and fit in to all situations and communicate with people. Even in a country where you don’t understand the language, you will always find a way to get around and enjoy it all. You can do anything, wherever and whenever you want to.

4. From boiled eggs to gourmet connoisseur.

Being exposed to so many different foods from around the world, you will also start to appreciate and recognise the differences between spices, flavours, and traditions. Forget the eggs and get a boeuf bourguignon or a chow mein instead!

5. You start liking yourself.

At some point, whether you travel or move abroad, you will have moments for yourself. The surprise is that you will no longer mind the company of just you. You learn to stay alone; you are content with who you are and who you want to be. You no longer feel awkward about going for dinner on your own and in fact you quite enjoy inviting yourself and yourself only to a dinner date. And there is nothing wrong with that.

6. It makes you fearless.

A confidence boost and a better understanding of the world will help you defeat your fears. Bungee jumping? Sky diving? Eating alone? You know, all the crazy things you do when you are out of the office and abroad? Well, you will keep doing them once you get home too and you will look for more scary things to do every day.

7. It makes you smarter.

Unless you spend your entire days sipping cocktails by the pool or enjoying the cosiness of your new Spotahome apartment, moving abroad (and outside) will teach you about the world. You will learn things you purposely ignored at school. Your travel mates will share fascinating stories about their home countries while a tour to the Alhambra will impress you with legends about Moors, princesses, and Napoleon. You will be interested in knowing more and more about the past and the present – you will see the things you saw in books and movies through the magic of your own eyes.On the other hand, things don’t always work the way they do in your home country, and you’ll need to become patient. Extremely patient. Your plane/bus/train will often be delayed or cancelled, the line at the security controls/shower/bus will often be very long, and you will have to wait. At the same time, in some tricky situations, you will learn to find other, often innovative solutions. You will manage to find someone who will give you a ride thanks to your increased confidence (see no. 3) or to charm an old lady to lend you a couple of euros for a bus ride.

8. It makes you more approachable (and interesting).

You will meet new people every day and whether you want to talk to them or not, some will talk to you. You earned the traveller’s badge, and people will want to hear your story. You will also learn to make friends out of strangers and get more comfortable breaking the ice with random people.

9. It makes you happier.

Yeah, I know, the usual cliche. But it’s true. Travel simply teaches you how to be happy. You might have heard this zillion times and if so, it’s probably true. Travelling changes you. Often it makes you a better person.Why? As a result of all the points above, you’ll become more relaxed, more confident, smarter, humbler, more creative and you will see the world (and yourself) in a brighter light.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s GO!

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin

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