“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” ― Clifton Fadiman
Changing your worldview can be inspiring and eye-opening, creating a richer sense of purpose in your life. One of the best ways to do this is to travel and live abroad, whether that's for a few weeks or months during an international internship or even a few years for a full-time job.
But how does going abroad exactly change your worldview?
1. Exposure to new languages.
Hearing and speaking different languages affects how your brain works and perceives the world. It can cause a paradigm shift for your brain as you're exposed to a new set of metaphors, frames, and concepts. As you learn new ways of expressing ideas, experiences, and notions, you also become more open to new ideas, experiences, and concepts. Living your life in another language gives you a new lens through which you can view the world around you – a lens that will stay with you even after you return home.
2. You’ll establish friendships with people from different countries and cultural backgrounds.
The best way to understand another culture and point of view is to befriend someone with a different cultural background. When you establish common ground with people from a different upbringing, you become aware of the many ways we are connected and alike as human beings. You realize that geographical and cultural boundaries do not have to separate us like they seem to do. Once you leave your comfort zone through an internship abroad, you can develop deep human relationships with people from around the world and through these friendships see beyond the constraints of our different cultures.
3. Your idea of “normal” will be challenged.
Living abroad will expose you to a brand-new normal. Each culture has its own ideas of priorities, what to eat, how to spend time and money, what constitutes a good friend, a good mother, a good worker… Seeing what is “normal” in a foreign culture makes you realize that there isn’t simply one right way to do things. Understanding the rules of a foreign culture will also help you understand your own culture in a brand new light. Seeing these perspectives will give you a new perspective of yourself and make you realize your value outside of what your culture tells you it is.
4. You get to experience the sensation of being the outsider.
Everyone should feel like a foreigner at least once in their life. It can be an overwhelming sensation, being surrounded by a culture you don’t understand in a place where you don’t really belong. When you get outside your comfort zone and throw yourself into a new cultural context, you get a better understanding of how other people feel when they’re new to your city or country. You become a more hospitable person to others because you’ve also had to rely on the kindness of strangers.
5. You’ll see the advantages of a different way of life.
After venturing abroad, you realize that every culture can teach us something important about life. You may not feel 100% at home in a new country, but there are always lessons to learn. One culture might place a strong emphasis on business, while another has a lively nightlife. Some cultures have exquisite and legendary gastronomy while others love to celebrate at every opportunity. Experiencing these lessons and advantages, you can take your favorites home with you to improve your day-to-day life.
6. English speakers will realize the impact of their language and culture.
An important lesson for native English speakers to learn is just how privileged they are to speak the international language. The scope of Anglo influence stretches wide and far and because of this, is not always welcome. Many cultures are struggling to retain their native languages because of the prominence of English while scrambling to teach their children English. Recognizing the gift of speaking and understanding English will help you count your blessings and hopefully encourage you to learn another tongue and be more inclusive to other countries and cultures.
7. Improved awareness of globalization.
Today’s economy is a global one. Globalization has changed business permanently as we trade outside our borders more and more frequently. We also constantly exchange our culture and entertainment, thanks to the internet, mass entertainment, and immigration. During your international adventure, you’ll notice this more than ever.
