I was just reading an article, "10 things about living abroad: No Turning Back" on Thought Catalog (link here). The article talks about a very common theme, and as much as I think people might get annoyed with this topic, this article did have some very great points about the life out there in a different country/continent, the life that I feel deeply connected to.
Left Vietnam when I was 14; many people have told me it was too young for me to live abroad (it's been 8 years already?). They were right. There were moments that things didn't go perfectly well and I got beaten up pretty hard, being on my own in a foreign country away from my mother tongue and family and friends that would, in a heartbeat, come to my rescue. I feel upset whenever holidays come around, whenever my friends go home to their parents in the weekends, whenever Skype connection doesn't work and I cannot talk to my family. Sometimes I wonder if it was even a smart decision to be away.
Still not sure if it was smart to do that at such an early age (I still feel bad for my mom who was so concerned when I left), but I knew I was going to live abroad at one point in my life sooner or later. Going abroad is like an addiction; once you've done it, you cannot help but think about it constantly everyday.
I'm not the kind of person who travels just so that they can brag about the amount of countries they've been to. I don't see the point of that either; don't get me wrong, I'm really impressed if you travel a lot, but when that's the only thing you talk about every time we meet, there is a problem. I myself think no one needs to brag about their traveling. If people know and find you interesting enough, they will ask for your stories. As for me, I travel because I like to collect stories, see things, meet people, satisfy my artistic and wanderlust nature. If you've traveled with me you would know. I actually don't really care if I have to see all the touristy stuff. To me, wandering around in my own pace, stopping for a little while to sketch, or sitting down at a local coffee shop to people watch, these kinds of things are more appealing to me.
I'm not the kind of person who travels just so that they can brag about the amount of countries they've been to. I don't see the point of that either; don't get me wrong, I'm really impressed if you travel a lot, but when that's the only thing you talk about every time we meet, there is a problem. I myself think no one needs to brag about their traveling. If people know and find you interesting enough, they will ask for your stories. As for me, I travel because I like to collect stories, see things, meet people, satisfy my artistic and wanderlust nature. If you've traveled with me you would know. I actually don't really care if I have to see all the touristy stuff. To me, wandering around in my own pace, stopping for a little while to sketch, or sitting down at a local coffee shop to people watch, these kinds of things are more appealing to me.
At any rate, I'm obsessed with traveling. Yeah I try very hard to get all opportunities to travel as much as possible. Don't think I'm a spoiled rich brat, because I am not lol. I get pretty annoyed when people think my life is perfect with all my traveling and stuff. Please, you don't know me. You know nothing about my family and where I come from and how I get to where I am today. All these opportunities don't just grow on trees; I had to work and earn it, scholarships and co-op savings and all the times I refused to go out for drinks. All for another day of seeing new things somewhere else in the world. So next time if you're about to complain about how you don't have money to travel abroad while I get to travel everywhere, stop. Or, just stop giving me excuses. I don't need to hear them anyway.
(Actually, I recently got pickpocketed and lost everything in my wallet except for my passport. I lost quite an amount of money, but thankfully I still have my passport and sketchbook :) )
(Actually, I recently got pickpocketed and lost everything in my wallet except for my passport. I lost quite an amount of money, but thankfully I still have my passport and sketchbook :) )
So why try so hard to live/study/travel/do things abroad, you ask? I don't know. Still trying to figure it out even after 8 years of living overseas, but the reasons in the article were pretty accurate, so do check it out.
Til' next time!
Bisous,
Anh
Til' next time!
Bisous,
Anh