Long Time No Blog

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, but I have more than a legitimate excuse.  My girlfriend just returned to the United States after spending 5 months studying abroad in Hong Kong.  So during my past week with her, blogging was not exactly on my to do list.  Priorities, right? 
This leads kind of nicely in to what I want to talk about, which is the concept of studying abroad.  I have always said, and will continue to say that if anyone has the chance to study abroad, they should do it.  Regardless of where it is in the world, I think it's such a valuable experience to see the world from a different perspective.  Now of course there will be college kids that study abroad and learn nothing other than how to go out and get drunk in another country, and this post is not for them.   However, learning how to go out and get drunk in another country successfully is all part of the experience.  But what I like to focus on, especially having lived abroad for two years is living out of your comfort zone, and the way that might change one's views.  It is a simple fact that most Americans see the world through an American-lense, just as most Italians see the world thorugh an Italian perspective, and so on.  I think it's an invaluable and unteachable lesson to see how the rest of the world portrays your home country, and why.  And to read about  it in a textbook or news article is uncomparable to actually experiencing it firsthand. 
The notion that not everyone sees the world in the same way is by no means grounbreaking, but this is more than that.  I believe that this experience has a real effect on critical analysis on a personal level.  For example, living in a foreign country will not only require you to become street smart, as to not be taken advantage of by any locals, but it also strengthens aspects of personal independence and individualism. 
Living abroad for an extended period of time (1 month doesn't quite cut it), allows you to not only learn about another part of the world, but also about yourself.  You quickly learn the ways in which you adapt to certain situations, and the type of people you like to associate yourself with.  While the domestic college experience also does this to a degree, for many, their comfort zone is still untouched.  There are those people that have no intention of, and probably should never try to study abroad for whatever reason, and that's fine.  But for those people that have an interest in a world outside of their personal bubble, I believe that studying or even just living abroad is more than worth it. 
I apologize for the unorganization and blabbering of this post, but I just wanted to break the silence and actually write something on here, considering it's been over a week.  Much love.