Packing my suitcase for the hundredth time this year, I look back and know that squeezing my life into a case and leaving was one of the best decisions I could have made. When you move away, you turn your life into a journey full of uncertainty. You face new challenges, discover parts of yourself you didn't know existed, and find yourself amazed at both you and the world. You learn and broaden your horizons; you unlearn, and after a few humbling lessons you start to grow. You evolve. You feel homesick… and you make memories that stay with you forever. If you've ever lived away from home or set off on a long journey, you've probably felt some of these things too.
Adrenaline becomes part of your life
From the moment you decide to move abroad, life turns into a powerful mix of emotions — learning, improvising, dealing with the unexpected. All your senses sharpen, and for a while the word “routine” disappears from your vocabulary to make room for an ever-rising thrill. New places, new habits, new challenges, new people. Starting over should terrify you, but it's strangely addictive.
But when you go back… everything looks the same
That's why, when you get a few days off and fly home, it strikes you how little has changed. Your life has been moving non-stop, and you arrive ready to share all the stories you've piled up — but at home, life is just as it was. Everyone is still busy with their daily routines, and it hits you: life won't stop for you.
You realise courage is overrated
Plenty of people will tell you how brave you are — they'd move abroad too, if only they weren't so scared. And you, even though you've been scared as well, know that courage is only about ten per cent of any life-changing decision. The other ninety per cent is simply wanting it with all your heart. Do you really want to do it? Then do it. The moment we decide to jump, we're neither cowards nor heroes.