Imagine this; you’re on a holiday, and your time abroad is coming to an end. “Why can’t this last longer”. “I’d love to spend more time in another country – experience an adventure and not coming home feeling that I didn’t soak up enough”, you might think to yourself.
You haven’t seen it all, and right when it felt like you were enjoying it the most, it’s time to leave. “If only there was time and money, enabling you to stay, and not having to go back to school or work, just waiting for the next time you save up both time and money to be able to make another trip.

For students that have ever studied abroad, the time has been the peak of their academic life. As a matter of fact, why wouldn’t it be? Travelling around to surrounding countries, catching flights or buses at any moment, struggling with instructions in foreign languages, forgetting to stamp your train tickets but somehow talking your way out of it, and laughing with your friends afterwards.

It all feels like a dream. So what options do you have? – to see more, to do more. How can you continue living in this state of euphoria?
Well, for many of us, the answer is far more simple that we would have ever thought. Working Abroad.

While it may not be an option for all, here are 10 reasons to work abroad:

1) Travel for Free and Get Paid to Do it Too

There are plenty of opportunities to work as a tour guide, a delegate or teaching a language. To get access to those opportunities, it’s only a matter of sending that application, or network your way to such open doors. Every business, company, firm has some kind of an issue or gap they would love filled. Get creative, figure out how you can help them, and open up your own door, if sending applications doesn’t work.

2) The People You Will Come Across, Will Be From Every Culture and Background in the World

One would argue that the world has become smaller and more accessible throughout the past decades, due to the advancement of technology. And it’s absolutely true.
People today are going everywhere, moving to new places, for both long and short-term, and doing so more frequently.
You’re going to meet and become friends with so many people from all over the planet. It will teach you new perspectives, make you become a friendlier, more empathetic and understanding person.

3) The Experience Will Make You Realise the Importance of Ending Procrastination

Going abroad is an adventure, promoting a fast paced lifestyle. For someone, the stay abroad may be seasonal, for others even a few years; in both cases you try your hardest to utilise every little moment.
Imagine coming off work and friends picking you up: “Let’s go to the beach”. You’re thinking; you don’t have a swimsuit, no towel, you’re in work clothes.. no problem. You stop by a shop, pick up any swim suit, head down to the beach, have an amazing evening, and never regretting for a second that you did. And why would you? – why should it be any different in your home country. Always needing to be ready and planning a specific time for everything.
Well, going abroad and getting a sense of how everything has an end, just like your stay abroad, and your life, makes you see the pleasures of acting immediately, and not procrastinating. Because procrastination can lead to neglect, and neglect builds one regret after another.

4) Your Perspectives Expand in Ways You Couldn’t Imagine

When we’re young, there’s only so little we understand. We can’t see and understand so many things that we don’t even know exist.
By going abroad, many things start to get clarity, including what it is you want in life. The different situations, places and people slowly shape the vision you see for yourself and your life. Being abroad is definitely a big part of this process of learning more about yourself and the future that’s ahead of you.

5) You Will Have The Time and Peace to Figure Out What It Is You Truly Want in Life

You’ll have more time than ever for self-reflection. To envision that position, that role, or that thing you truly want to do, and what to do to get there, and most often, a positive environment abroad motivates very well. It pushes you to push yourself and believe in change that frankly, is more simple than you’d ever have thought it was.
The time spent, will transform you into who you wish to be.

6) Become a ‘Traveler’ Instead of a ‘Tourist’

This point is so significant. And it feels great when you’ve achieved this. To feel comfortable in a new city or country, and to know your way around. It gives you certain confidence knowing you’ve conquered a new territory, and reinforces your belief in your capabilities to survive and adapt to the unknown.

7) You’ll Learn to Start Taking the Road Less Travelled, ALL THE TIME

The best part of getting lost, is finding out about a new place. Expand your horizons and learn to stay calm. Once you catapult yourself out of your comfort zone, it actually gets bigger, pushing you further all the time.

8) You Will Start Smiling More

You don’t need to hear it again, you’ve heard it already a thousand times; stressing over the small things can’t help you in any way, and is in fact counterproductive to everything that does you good. Why worry about things you cannot change. Sure, the best thing is to learn from mistakes, but time is one thing you cannot get back. Period.
So try to spend your time being happy, instead of the opposite. Keep moving forward with a smile. In the end, only the good memories stay. The negative vanish. It’s a natural way of our mind.

9) You Will Have Enough Time for Yourself, and Start Listening More Instead of Talking

You know what; everyone has a story. And you learn that when meeting other people. So everyone deserves the respect to share their story, just as much as you have the desire to share yours.
Listening and asking questions teaches you plenty, as it pulls you into a world you haven’t experienced and been in yourself. And in the process, you become a more sociable person.

10) You Will Make Friends and Connections for the Rest of Your Life

And those friendships and memories will be your most precious.

Regret is one of the worst things to live with. Especially when you’re older, and have no option of return.
And interestingly enough; the worst regret to have, is not having tried, which is a simple one step into any direction. There are no expectations, no demands, only to put one foot forward. One thought in motion, letting it take its course, and guiding the best you can, without interfering with unreasonable doubt.