What your year abroad destination says about you

A continental overview of who goes where on their year abroad...

Europe

You were rejected by your 1st choice YA and ended up so far north you haven’t seen the sun in 4 months.
You spend all your time telling everyone how cool the Scandis are and you’re obsessed with Minimalism.
You’ve gained a lot of Fika weight and now think wearing a t-shirt in -5 is completely normal.

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If you’re in the South of France, you now wear cardigans on nights out.
If you’re in Italy, you have more Feast Days than you know what to do with and your bloodstream is 27% espresso.
If you’re in Spain you’ve met a lot of Brits who couldn’t get into dentistry back home. You eat dinner at bedtime.
You spent the whole of the x-mas holiday defending yourself for not having a tan.

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You stopped wearing any form of tight clothing months ago.
You are carrying more than 12 different currencies around in your vintage satchel.
You can’t help complaining about British cafes because you miss the taste of “authentically brewed coffee”
You feel uncomfortable when you can’t see revolutionary graffiti.

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You forgot to apply for a YA so ended up across the Irish sea.
You have a few long-lost cousins in County Mayo, who keep posting on your timeline, asking to go for a pint.
You’ve been converted into believing the pub is a night out and will yell, “I’ll claim ya”, at anyone who challenges you.

You study International Business but never bothered to learn a language.
You’re considering joining a fraternity/ sorority, but you heard about the Birmingham rugby initiations and you’re scared of Hazing.

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You’re a wholesome posh girl, probably from the south, or Cheshire.
You were chuffed your BA club points meant you didn’t have to pay extra to fly your skis over!
Daddy (or mummy – it’s a modern climate) has the dolla to fund your stay, so there was no way you were missing out on a year off.

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You’re not too bothered about your degree, you’re just here for a good time and to hopefully meet Rihanna.
You are now an expert at navigating the Bajan minibus-based version of public transport.
You win when it comes to Year Abroad envy, as you pay less for a beachside villa than you would for a single bed in a Leamington Spa terraced house.

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You pretend you’re working on your languages but you’re really saving up to climb Machu Picchu.
You took a gap year but didn’t quite have the time to find yourself. Good luck with round two.
You went to Patagonia, just to check that their native language is, in fact, Welsh, and you’re just as confused as the rest of the world as to why.

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You love goon.
You’ve spent 65% of your budget on waterside brunch, rooftop cocktails and boat parties.
You’re the Instagram envy of everyone in Europe. However, if you’re down south you’re just about to realise packing your baggage allowance full of bikinis/ budgie smugglers was a little optimistic.

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You realise on day one that if you want to be let back into your home university you better buy a one-way ticket to the library and take enough Bubble Tea and Sweet and Sour Pork to fuel you for the next nine months.
You only communicate through QQ and have forgotten what Facebook is.
You always carry bog roll and your mum will be pissed off when you get home and put soiled tissue in the bathroom bin.

You get asked if you’ve been to ‘That Rooftop Pool’. You haven’t, because it’s only for guests and you don’t have £280 spare.
Everyone is jealous of you being on the cusp of South-East Asia (so many opportunities to find yourself!!) and of the constant 30-degree heat. They may not know about the 90-100% humidity.
You’ve eaten $2 Michelin Star chicken and told everyone about it.

You spent all your money in second year and googled “Where can you live without money?”. Antarctica has no currency, woohoo!
You’ve slept on a boat for so long you’ve forgotten what it feels like to lie still. You will have to invest in a rocking bed when you get home.
You are cold.

Worried about missing home while away on your year abroad? Check out our tips for dealing with homesickness on your year away.