There is a difference between leaving for study abroad and leaving study abroad.

 

There is a difference between leaving for study abroad and leaving study abroad. Four years ago, I was the girl leaving for study abroad — carrying my suitcase, hugging my family goodbye, and holding onto a mix of fear and excitement. The world ahead of me felt like a blank page, waiting for me to write my own story. I remember standing at the airport, not knowing how much these years would shape me. Back then, I was stepping into the unknown, fueled only by curiosity and a little bit of courage.

Now, everything feels different. I am no longer that girl at the beginning of her journey. I am in my final year, Grade 12, and soon I will be the one leaving study abroad. This time, the goodbye will be heavier. Because now I am not only leaving a country, but also leaving a life, a routine, a family of friends, and a version of myself that only exists here.

It’s strange how fast time moves when you are not paying attention. At first, four years felt like forever. But now, looking back, it feels like a handful of moments — laughter in the classroom, quiet evenings walking home, the nervous energy before exams, the little victories of understanding a culture that once felt foreign. These are not just memories anymore; they are pieces of who I am.

Leaving for study abroad was about stepping into something new. Leaving study abroad is about stepping away from something I have built. The first is filled with hope; the second, with gratitude and a touch of sadness. When I left my home country, I didn’t know what I would find. But when I leave this country, I will know exactly what I am leaving behind.

This final year feels fragile. Every day carries more meaning, because I know it is my last time living for study abroad. Every ordinary detail suddenly feels precious — the sound of familiar footsteps in the hallway, the smile of a friend across the classroom, even the taste of food I once found strange. I want to capture it all, to freeze it in my memory, because soon I will not have it anymore.

Sometimes I imagine myself a year from now, standing in the airport again. But this time, instead of nervous excitement, I will carry a heart full of stories, lessons, and goodbyes. And I know it will hurt. Because no one tells you that leaving study abroad is harder than leaving for it.

But maybe that’s the beauty of it. The fact that leaving will hurt only means that living here has mattered. It means I loved, I grew, I belonged. And that is something no distance can take away.

So for now, I will live this last year with as much presence as I can. I will walk these streets slowly, laugh louder with my friends, and take in every detail, no matter how small. I will be leaving study abroad (as a high schooler). And when that moment comes, I want to carry not just sadness, but also the quiet pride of knowing I lived it fully.

Maybe this is how life works. Every beginning already carries its ending. The first goodbye at the airport was the seed of the next one. But between those two goodbyes, there has been a whole world of living — and that is what makes this journey worth it and…

see you here for a minute every day!