6 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD SPEND A YEAR ABROAD: THE REVERSE PERSPECTIVE FROM A FOREIGNER IN SPARTANBURG—
Franziska Winterling grew up in a small German town near Frankfurt. After graduating from high school, she decided that it was time for something new and came to the United States to work as an au pair. Travelling back and forth with her host family between South Carolina and Connecticut, she observes some Wofford classes when she’s living in Spartanburg.
“Oh, so you want to become an au pair after high school? Well, why don’t you just start University?”
“I am sure it’s nice to spend a year abroad. Personally, I just want to start studying right away.”
Those are typical answers I got when I told friends of mine, my parents or every other person what my plan for the 12 months after graduating from high school was: I wanted to leave Germany and work as an au pair in the U.S. People were worried. “What if you don’t like the family?” “Isn’t it boring to spend one year with children?” And most commonly: “I hope you don’t feel like you’re wasting your time.”
To be honest, I was asking myself the exact same questions, and I had the same fears.
But I did it. I didn’t bother with University applications, but wrote a host family letter, got references for my childcare experiences, and interviewed with interested host families. Nearly six months ago, I got on a plane and just did it. Is it easy to be an au pair, to leave friends and family, to live in a completely different country with a completely different culture? Certainly not! Is it worth it? Absolutely! And here are the six main reasons why…
1. You are not brave until you do something that is brave. I would have never described myself as a very brave or risk-taking person. Now people come to me, telling me how brave my decision was to come here. And I guess they are right. How I could be so brave? I just did it. I gave my dream to be an au pair, to live abroad, to travel, more room than my fears. I took one step at a time and they led me to where I am now.
2. Break up with your routines. Getting up at the same time, eating the same breakfast, going the same way to school, to ballet, to my friends’ houses, to the stores. Seeing the same people, hearing the same stories, doing the same things. For 12 years of school I had routines. Some of them lasted for a few weeks, others for years. But they were always there, and normally there was no need to change them. Routines can be great. They can make you feel home, safe and strong. Or they can box you in. They can make you lazy, bored, even unhappy. That’s when it’s time to…
3. Redefine yourself. When you live with new people, you are asked new questions. What do you like best for breakfast? What do you enjoy doing? What do you hate doing? What are your favorite activities? Some answers will be easy. Others will make you think. What have I always wanted to eat for breakfast and never tried? Which sport did I always want to do and never felt strong enough? If my favorite restaurant/cinema/theatre/gym is thousands of miles away – where do I want to go here? One year is definitely enough time to build new routines – routines that you actively choose.
4. Make it special! A year abroad, a new opportunity! After deciding to be brave, to realize a dream, you want to live it. You want to see the country or even the continent where you will spend your next months. You want to meet inspiring people, hear and see inspiring things, make the most out of your time abroad, since your time is limited. Travel more, talk to foreigners (as everyone is a foreigner…), take opportunities and be open to them. You will see how much fun everyday life can be if you have the right attitude.
5. From comfort to strength. If you spend a year abroad, you won’t experience 365 wonderful days. You will miss home, those little routines, your family, your friends, food and language – everything you can possibly miss. You will feel lonely; you will feel like you made the wrong decisions. But – you will get through it. You will smile again and appreciate all the new things you learn, all the new people you meet. You will cope with the difficulties. No matter what you do, when you come back home, you will be stronger. You will have made some major decisions and you will know what you are capable of. (Which is probably more than you ever imagined).
6. What really counts. All the missing, the feeling of being incomplete, will not only make you feel sad or lonely, but teach you to appreciate all the wonderful things and people in your life. The old life, and the new one. I never felt thankful or particularly happy to live in Germany. And even if I love being in the U.S., I love being German so much more since I heard about and saw so many different kinds of lifestyles. And not only will you appreciate what you have, but also see WHO you have. Not everyone will answer your messages or make time to Skype. But those who do are the ones who really count. Whether they are living in your home country or you meet them abroad: they will be there for you.
—Franzi Winterling
