Best Things About Living Abroad

Happy Wednesday! 

Yesterday I wrote about some of the worst things about living abroad. They weren't all that bad. But I find that sometimes it sounds a lot more glamorous to live abroad than it actually is. I was trying to highlight some of the annoying things that take some getting used to which aren't necessarily dealbreakers.

Once you are settled in though, I think living abroad is definitely worth the change! I am a super homebody, and probably not someone that people would have thought would move away, let alone learn to love it. I definitely have Tj to thank for showing me how to get out of my comfort zone. Tj embraces every sort of travel experience full on! He loves new experiences and seeing new places. I like to think we balance each other out. I make a new place feel comfortable and like a home, and Tj finds the best things a new city has to offer. 

Here are some of the best things about living abroad:

Meeting New People

It's hard to make new friends, but I usually meet a lot of new people through work. And guess what? People are so nice and interesting! I am usually pretty shy, but it's good to be in a situation where I am a little bit out of my comfort zone. And maybe that makes me be a little more friendly and out-going than I normally would be. One of the nice things about travelling is meeting different people from different backgrounds and realizing that we are all different and we are all the same! I'm made some friends that I hope to keep forever and that makes the experience of living abroad worth it right there!

Finding New Favourites

Yesterday I said I miss my poutine and ketchup chips, but it's fun trying to find new favourites too. There are some really good shopping stores in Melbourne for brands that I haven't seen in North America or Europe. So while there are lots of shops I can't find, there are more than enough new stores to go to. And let's talk about candy. Actually, they call candy lollies here, which I love! In London, Tj had a new favourite chocolate and we were both obsessed with Jelly Babies. In Australia, Tim Tams are my new weakness. I'm not even going to try Vegemite though. My friend Jenn and I tried it when we came to Australia years ago and we learned the hard way that you're supposed to spread it like butter, not like peanut butter.

Showing People Around

I love getting to show visitors around my new home/neighbourhood/country! Whenever TJ and I go somewhere new I will say 'Oh so and so would love this' or 'I can't wait to take so-and-so here'. And when I do get visitors, I can give the most annoying tour - this is where I bring my dry-cleaning, and this is where I catch the train to work haha. Sorry in advance... it just makes me so happy when people come to see us. It makes living away feel so worth it when I get to experience it with friends and family and people I love. And when I take them to my favourite restaurant and they love it too - priceless :) 

Getting Lost and Finding My Way

It's kind of fun when you have to figure your way around from scratch. I am really bad with directions. But not knowing where I am means that I have to look at a map and follow street signs. This is a lot easier in Melbourne where they actually have street signs on the corners, unlike London where they are hard to find on building corners. I can definitely be seen about town, holding my phone out in front of me like a total tourist so I can figure out which way Google maps is telling me to walk. Getting lost is half the fun. Especially in Melbourne where you never know what you will find when you wander down a laneway. Eventually, it starts to click. I'll suddenly know that if I go down this street it will take me to that street. And that's when a new city really starts to feel like home!

Other awesome things about living abroad: 

• It's kind of cool to be the one with an accent haha
• Every country other than Canada has much better and cheaper cell phone and data plans
• I recognize places and streets where I've lived when I watch movies and tv shows
• I understand some of the slang words when I read books set in these countries
• If I can't sleep there's always someone back home who is awake to talk to
• My knowledge of world geography is ever so slowly getting slightly better
• Even on days where I just go to work and come back home I still feel like I am doing something special :) 

Have a great day! 

Last picture before moving to London

First picture in London

Last picture before moving to Melbourne

First picture when we arrived in Melbourne