Three Side Effects of Moving Internationally

 

The past seven (almost eight ) years I have had to move from house to house, country to country. To be honest, though, the reality of the past seven years have been one crazy roller coaster. Moreover, every ride has their side effects.  I am only seventeen, and I have lived in six different homes since I was born. Just very recently I have noticed the effects it can have on one’s social life. Half the time when I am in public, I am pretty much muted when I am around people I have not grown comfortable with, which means either, one I am shy because I do not know you or two I have nothing to say.

1. ( The aftermath of being overseas huh?) I had mixed emotion about leaving the states. At first, it was hard leaving family and friends and a house I lived in for more than seven years. I ended up missing everything from the little things like the Disney Channel and Chick-fil-a to the big things, for example, going to Awanas every Wednesday. After about a year I started to appreciate many things I never thought I would have; like the opportunity to travel the world. My brother and I always laugh about the way we acted when we left the states. Imagine two kids in an airport crying their eyes out, while everyone is trying to check in his or her bags.
2.  Another side effect of traveling is changing in personality.  In Japan when someone bows toward you; you bow back. It is a sign of respect toward one another.  After a while, I started to pick up these habits, and before I knew it, I’m bowing at Italians, saying ‘Grazie.’
3. The cruelest side effect of traveling (practically the mother load) is the exit rout. I have been to half a dozen countries, and I never wanted to leave once (including the states). However, moving makes me want to travel more.  I promised myself that even after I leave for college in little over a year, I will keep traveling the world.  At this point, I feel like I can’t live in the states anymore. Otherwise, I will feel like I am trapped in this bubble, which almost makes it another side effect of traveling. (P.s that is a good thing)

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