Life abroad: what I learned

Life lesson 1: Human relationships are nowadays incredibly fragile

If you say a word that you shouldn’t say, the relationship you’ve fostered can vanish instantly. Relationships can break like a vase that you throw against a wall, into a thousand little pieces. Everything will be gone in the blink of an eye. One word, one phrase, or one not so pleasant moment is enough to destroy what had been built for a long time.

It is hard for me to realize that people tend to judge other people with ease, rather than trying to understand and solve hard situations or problems with open-mindedness and lots of understanding.

It easier and more comfortable nowadays to throw away something and replace it, than to take the time and the effort to repair it.

Life lesson 2 : No place like home

Before I moved to Austria, my father knew that I wanted to live abroad and he was even positive and excited with my idea. But he warned me!! And he said that I will never find a home that will be as good like my home. I must confess now that I didn’t get what he was talking about when he said that.

Later on and after having lived abroad for three years, I now understand what he meant. I think a lot about his words and how right he was. So, expanding yourself abroad is attractive but life will prove you sooner or later that no place is like home.

How to manage difficult situations and difficult people

When you go abroad, in order to start creating network of friends and establishing relationships with other people, all you have to do is to be open, friendly, and nice. I assume that’s the way it works or that’s the way it should work.

But even if you are open, friendly, and nice, it doesn’t automatically mean that others are as well. I often catch myself to be too naive and too good natured and still get in trouble or cause misunderstandings without even wanting them. So, I suppose if you want to get along smoothly without having many problems caused by others, choose your friends carefully and keep the ones that inspire you, motivate, help and care for you.

True friends really are worth their weight in gold.

 Family is the most important thing we have

Friends are also important in one’s life and we need them but throughout these past three years in Vienna, I realised how many people come and go, but family still stays. To make it clearer, even if you choose to live abroad, think about where all the expats are going for Christmas, where and with whom do they choose to spend these special holidays. Of course, they go back home.

Life in a shared apartment

Life in a shared apartment with people that you don’t know can turn up being very unpleasant. People, especially 18-30 years olds, share flats because of money. They think “I cannot afford a flat on my own so as a second choice I will share the flat with others, and also the rent and bills.” And of course, it is comfortable for your wallet but I don’t know how comfortable is it for your inner serenity and for your mental well being.

The starting point is wrong: you are doing something for money, and not for what you want. So, in my opinion, if you want to save yourself troubles, stress, and wasted energy, ask your friends if they want to share a flat with you or try to find a better solution.

I don’t want to be pessimistic and negative. It can even work out very well for you. But after all that I experienced, I am amazed at how this system still works and at the same time I am happy I managed to survive after all that I have gone through. I am happy to be where I am now!

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