Coming home from a semester abroad is secretly one of the hardest adjustments of college life. Everyone tells you about reverse culture shock and how difficult that will be, but the most difficult thing I have found is integrating myself back into BC. I find myself always thinking about my abroad experience, my abroad friends, and constantly comparing the way things were in Europe to the way things are here.
While I was abroad I joked about being that study abroad kid—you know, that kid that shouts at people across campus and squeals and then runs into peoples arms, or that kid that starts every story with, “When I was abroad…” I used to joke about being this kid, but now that I am back at BC, I realize that I AM that study abroad kid. I can’t stop talking about abroad people and our memories; I can’t stop listening to songs I listened to abroad; I can’t help that I’m a part of the obnoxious reunions all over campus; and I can’t stop putting abroad friends before everyone else.
So now that I know that I am “that study abroad kid”, I must ask myself, am I annoying? The answer, most definitely, is yes. However, there is nothing I really can do about this. We study abroad kids can’t help ourselves, and to all of you who find us annoying, I am truly sorry. Just wait it out and be patient, and hopefully your feelings of aggravation towards us will subside. Maybe you can even try to balance out our abroad stories with stories about the semester that we missed back here at BC or introduce to the new friends you may have made without us.
Thanks for not minding our scenic reunions in front of Stokes and in the quad and in the dining halls, and anywhere else we happen to be. I promise, we will try to tone it down a bit.
Sincerely,
That Study Abroad Kid