It’s not just the expected, picturesque experiences that are magical when you’re studying abroad. Sure, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower is notably swanky, but eavesdropping on the elevator ride up feels pretty darn chic too. All the little aspects of life are still present when you’re abroad, but thankfully they’re oh-so-much more bougie.
1. Drinking
Literally any consumption of liquid and you’re a class act. If it’s alcoholic – you’re a grown woman, bottoms up! Getting legally drunk is one of the many blessings being abroad grants to us under-21 American folk. Fancy cocktails, fine wine or straight-up hard liquor, getting buzzed never seemed so classy. Nonalcoholic beverage? You’re still one bougie babe. Sipping tea or coffee in a cafe located time zones away isn’t just hydration, it’s one of the finer things in life.
2. Public Transportation
Getting from point A to point B in local style. While public transport at home may seem like a drag, figuring out how to successfully navigate the metro abroad is an achievement worth flaunting. There’s a higher quality of adulthood bestowed upon those who master transportation abroad, a sense of sophistication. Why yes, I took the bus here. No, I did not struggle finding my route. Me – a put-together, fully functioning, upstanding woman? How kind of you to say.
3. Flirting
Any semi-flirtatious comment from a foreigner and you feel like a true bougie beauty. Whether exchanging words with a cute cashier or fellow cafe-goer, eye-batting abroad is the epitome of classy, playful banter. While flirting in your home country is undoubtedly enjoyable, there’s few things that highlight your posh babe status more than an accented voice showering you with sweet sentiments.
4. Reading
Studying abroad is, at its core, an academic pursuit. Most programs require a decently packed reading schedule, but there’s no need to fear when reading location is accounted for. An unexpected kick of hubris will posses any foreigner casually reading abroad. Be it in a park, cafe or on a random bench, the joy of the task is in the nonchalance. There you are, abroad, just reading and minding your own business. A true bougie delight.
5. Spare Change
The greatest annoyance weighing down our wallets at home are sprinklings of pure bliss abroad. All the unfamiliar coins may seem overwhelming at first, but once you have down their values, they become the confetti of your new bougie lifestyle. The confidence you radiate upon giving the cashier exact change without hesitation is glory itself.
6. Eavesdropping
You might usually feel a little tacky for eavesdropping on strangers, but that reluctancy completely drops when your ears are perking up on foreign soil. It’s not a matter of being nosy, it’s a matter of understanding a culture, of course. Stealthily hearing snippets of locals’ daily conversations abroad turns you into a high-rolling secret agent or justified knowledge seeker, not a snoop.
7. Your Life
Yep, life’s just better and significantly more bougie when you’re studying abroad.*tears*