Living and traveling abroad gets the attention and glory, but what about part two of the story: moving on and getting over it? Some people easily resume their former lives, while others have a difficult time coming back. Here are some people's takes on what to do to move on after returning from an adventure.
"I think the best way to get over stagnancy of a return home is to get involved; something to take up your time and to let you know that there is adventure where you are."
- Tiffany Bird, LDS mission
"You move on, but you never stop missing it. If you can get over it, it probably wasn't the greatest trip. My advice would be don't try to get over it. Remember it, and just treasure the memories."
- Max Davis, Euopean Humanities Tour
"You cry. You cry some more. You talk to people. And you get over it. You have to still think about the past and talk about it, but not live in the past. Talking about it’s been the biggest thing, or when I get to talk to friends on facebook that are in Chile, [and] listening to Spanish music has really helped me."
- Emily Mower, semester abroad in Chile
"I think to come back and move on you must realize that there are always fun adventures to be had and that you're exciting adventures are a compliment to your everyday adventures. You need to understand that in order to not turn a good experience into a sad experience you can't lament what is over."
- Jason Parker
"For me, I realized that in order to get back there (China)--and even though I want to go back now--I have to get my education first so that I can help those people and be a part of those changes."
- Lauren Weaver, five month teaching English in China
"Moving on from trips is made easier by staying in touch with the people that I met, associated, and grew to love on the trip. I think that just by the simple fact that we had a shared experience that was somewhat challenging but also at the same time spiritual, those experiences bond people together."
- Sarah Bedke, MATS Tour
"Reading [Elder Holland's talk, "The Best Is Yet to Be"] gave me conviction to not live in the past but to move on. When I take the time to reread the experiences I recorded in my journal it reawakens in me the responsibility that I have to share what I learned and actually apply it."
- Molly Davis, BYU-Jerusalem Center
