Going abroad is no doubt one of the most exciting times in our lives. Aside from the obvious anticipation surrounding a new cultural endeavor/outstanding Instagram opportunities, one more thing also rings extremely inciting: Foreign. Boys. Though we will never actually be Lizzie McGuire in the Lizzie McGuire movie (think skipping class, riding around on a Vespa, dating a famous superstar from Rome), these four girls give us hope that we actually can come pretty close. Take a look at how they navigated their respective love stories from abroad.
1.How did you two meet?
Person 1 (Paris, France): His name was Victor… weird name but whatever. And we met at a French English meet up at a bar in the Latin Quarter on the left bank. It was a way for French people to learn English and English speakers to learn French meet up thing.
Person 2 (Madrid, Spain): A co-worker of his introduced us at a club the international students normally went to on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He grew up in Spain but spoke English perfectly (he’s an English teacher at a Spanish academy).
Person 3 (Cape Town, South Africa): We met on St. Patrick’s Day at a bar called Foreign Exchange. He was out to drinks with people from work and they were the only non-Americans in the bar. I really didn’t want to go out, but my friends convinced me with the St. Patrick’s Day cheer: Guinness, good music, and a promise with an end of the night stop at Food inn (a fast food place for Indian food).
Person 4 (Tel Aviv, Israel): I was on Birthright with my best friend and a lot of other UVM peeps. We just touched down in TLV and I was having issues deciphering the ATM which did not have an English option in the airport, a line was forming behind me, and he noticed my confusion, and decided to help me!
2.What initially attracted you to him?
Person 1 (Paris, France): Victor was cute and was really bad at speaking English and after the meet-up thing we ended up going to another bar with some of my study abroad friends and some of his friends from the architecture school he was going to. We just ended up talking a lot and having a fun time and we exchanged numbers and he asked if I wanted a ride home and I said sure. So he took he for an hour long ride on his red Vespa and drove all over Paris, past the Louvre, the Eiffel tower, through Saint German des pres. It was awesome.
Person 2 (Madrid, Spain): He was really helpful to my best guy friend when he was looking for an apartment, he started his own brand to represent his rap music, he wasn’t interested in me until he got to know me which allowed me trust his sincerity.
Person 3 (Cape Town, South Africa): I’m not sure what initially attracted me to him, but I was determined to meet him. I saw him across the bar laughing and talking with friends and we kept making eye contact. My abroad mindset was constantly stuck in Drake’s ‘YOLO’ mantra, so I decided to master up the courage and talk to him. I walked over confidently and before approaching him my inhibitions kicked in with an “oh god what am I doing” and I sat at the nearest seat I could find. He noticed this, walked over to make fun of me for it, and the rest was history.
Person 4 (Tel Aviv, Israel): We went to Israel during a very hectic time in the Middle East, and he was responsible for keeping us safe. He was SUCH a badass and carried a huge gun in case of an emergency. He was ripped, such a sweetheart, and fresh out of the army.
3.When did things start getting serious?
Person 1 (Paris, France): Things never really got serious per say. After the Vespa ride around Paris he took me back to my apartment and then went home. We continued to text each other and would go out for drinks and coffee. I guess the most serious date was when he took me out to dinner at this really nice restaurant in this really wealthy neighborhood. He picked me up on his Vespa again and we had a really great time, after we went to this exclusive lounge that he knew about where the Chanel show was going to be, it was close to fashion week. So we got drinks and checked that out.
Person 2 (Madrid, Spain): Things got serious after a month or so and we moved in with each other after two months.
Person 3 (Cape Town, South Africa): We went on our first date a week later and things didn’t start getting serious for another month. We were both traveling around the same time, so we didn’t start really seeing each other often until about a month after we met.
Person 4 (Tel Aviv, Israel): He was very knowledgeable about the politics, and we had some great conversations, which got pretty deep. We would venture off and he showed me his favorite parts of Israel when our group would travel to different cities. I opened up to him in ways I never thought I would on like the 2nd night of our trip…. And he did the same. We would sit next to each other on the tour bus driving from one end of the country to the other and never run out of things to say.
4.How was your abroad relationship different from ones you have experienced at home?
Person 1 (Paris, France): I guess this relationship was different from my others because nothing felt rushed. It was super casual but not in a drunk one night stand way that I’ve encountered here at college. Yeah we’d go out to bars, but we’d also get coffee and dinner, which doesn’t really happen in “casual” American relationships.
Person 2 (Madrid, Spain): Jesus is so different its hard to tell, not to mention the lifestyle in Spain is so much more relaxed so I’d say it was much more carefree. Cultural differences will always keep things interesting because we’re constantly learning from each other.
Person 3 (Cape Town, South Africa): I haven’t had many relationships at home, but I think the biggest difference is that it was so carefree. There was no worrying about the little things, because we knew we only had a short while, and we had to make the best of it. In the beginning, I even asked him on a couple of dates, something that I have never done at home, because if I ever made a fool of myself, I literally never had to see him again.
Person 4 (Tel Aviv, Israel): Israeli boys are aggressive and will tell you how they feel initially. He told me I was beautiful and he was “impressed with my knowledge on his country.” He loved to listen and really respected me. I have yet to meet an American boy who valued my opinions, so much! I have never had a serious or very meaningful relationship at home, but he won my heart abroad!
5.How were things left off?
Person 1 (Paris, France): Things just kind of fizzled out. I was busy travelling, and Victor was trying to pass his exams to get his degree. We just stopped hanging out as much and suddenly I was going home. We still keep in touch via Facebook and he’s actually studying in Chicago now. I’m not sure if anything else will happen. But we had a great time when we were together in Paris.
Person 2 (Madrid, Spain): We said goodbye and we’d see each other soon as I left for Madrid. He’s coming in October and has a business visa for 10 years.
Person 3 (Cape Town, South Africa): Although it was a sad and tear-filled goodbye, we remained in contact. When I first got home, we talked every day, skyped sometimes and the topic of visiting each other soon was mentioned constantly. However, now, four months later, life has gotten in the way and we have both returned to our hectic lives. We talk occasionally and I consider him one of my best friends. He is even coming to the US in April!
Person 4 (Tel Aviv, Israel): It got pretty emotional when I left Israel, I cried at the airport, when I opened the letter he wrote me. At first I was nervous that we would never speak again, but we talk on whatsapp (free international texting) almost everyday! I plan on going back over winter break to visit and he’s coming to America this summer to see me! We are certainly not exclusive (because of the 7,000 mile distance) but he holds a special place in my heart.
….*swoon*