By Peter Mate, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver Campus, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.
Living away from home reorients outward perspectives: friendships blossom, the world changes colour, and ideas change. By reorienting perspectives the world shrinks: dialects between regions are now recognizable; cultures between cities become evident; you recognize ideologies that engulf countries. These differences create a tapestry of beliefs and cultures that you – the explorer – observe.
But there’s more: you may find yourself often alone; however, loneliness is the most profound feeling any international student encounters. Moments of solitude while walking down grand boulevards or university halls intensify experiences. Intense experiences last...