I received this e-mail from The New Glitterati in regards to our ongoing Study Abroad series:

I am a personal believer that anytime you construct a formula that involves the words “[.....] was the best time of my life,” then clearly something is missing. Because I am a firm believer that NOTHING should be the “best” time of your life; that things are always getting better in some way or another, and that there is always more. And, besides, if you go INTO a situation believing that this is, in fact, the very thing that will become “the best time of my life,” you have already defeated yourself. At every turn, you will question.

“Is this REALLY the best beer I’ve ever drank on a Tuesday afternoon in March in a town five thousand miles away from where I was born? It SHOULD be, because it is beer that is involved with the supposed BEST TIME OF MY LIFE. But, quite honestly, I’ve had Boones Farm that’s been more refreshing than this piss-can I’m holding, and I’m kind of tired of trying to pretend that I’m having the BEST TIME OF MY LIFE when all I freaking want to do is go back to someone’s dorm room and watch re-runs of ‘Family Guy.’”

Honestly, studying abroad is exhausting. Sure, there are elements of the exotic and the fun. And, I will say this, you WILL look back on this as something having caused significant change. You cannot put yourself through such an experience and NOT come away with something valuable, but what that particular value is may not make itself known for days, months, or even years post-travel. I am only, just now, recognizing what studying abroad and traveling multiple times in my life has done for me. All positive things, no doubt, but I couldn’t look back at any of them and say “THAT WAS THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE.”

In order to make that claim, you must first live the experience with the idea that, yes, there are many things you will do that will eventually seem unique even if they don’t now. You must live the experience, the homesickness, the tiredness, the people you’ll meet, the newspapers you’ll read, the weird foods you’ll find yourself craving when you’re “Back in the ‘States.” Live it. And just do it. Wake up every morning and know that, even if it doesn’t feel like it, it IS significant. But don’t EVER let someone tell you it’s the BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE. That’s just crazy talk.

Now go drink some Australian/South African wine that you can’t find over here, and say to yourself, “I’m doing this in [insert country here,] so it’s different, but not necessarily the BEST THING I’VE EVER FREAKING DONE.” Just live it. Do it. Find unique opportunities.

And, above all- learn to savor the small things. Homesickness is potent, powerful, and awful. But busy-ness is the very best cure for that. Distract. Don’t let yourself have too much downtime, and you soon won’t find room for homesickness. You’ll be so busy, time will fly. And then maybe, with any hope, it will someday rank in the Top Ten of your life experiences.

Take care, Kid and Sexretary.

xo
The New Glitterati

_And I agree with her assessment and her advice. I suppose some my disappointment is my own fault due to my extensive downtime. I came here to get away from being busy, so I didn’t sign up for any of the activities societies or anything, which would have helped a bit of that boredom/disappointment.

_And I also agree with the comments on The Sexretary’s post that sometimes the best parts are not the fun parts. I am about to take a week or two long vacation to Cape Town and the only thing I definitely have planed out is how I’m getting to C-Town. Beyond that, the adventure will be finding my way around, meeting other travelers, etc. The fun will be not having planned out all these amazing activities and just seeing what happens.

_I do wanna go shark cage diving, though.

- Kid