This is a guest blog post from myTab Inc -www.mytab.co.

Whoever said ‘childhood friends are for life’ may need to eat their words. For many of us, growing up with friends from school, parents' friends' kids or neighborhood friends, has been crucial in stability and generating amazing childhood memories. But what about when you go to study abroad and you leave those friends behind or off to their own study abroad ventures? Did you know that a huge number of people make their tightest knit BFF’s during University days – study abroad included! Want to know why? Because the friends you had growing up were more of a geographical match. But the friends you meet at study abroad? These are the ones you actually have something immediately in common with. You all chose the same program and city with a specific intention in mind – to get away and explore the world, focusing on the same study topic of interest. You all chose wisely so pat on the back to you!

Now you instantly have a connection with these people. Whether it’s ‘new city’ nerves or excitement to start something new, this is what bonds you to your new pals. We’re not saying that your childhood friends’ memories are now put in a box in the attic with the old rocking horse. No way!  But, what we are saying is that you absolutely need to make the most of the study abroad program and see the new friends as potential lifelong buddies, not just temporary pals for a few months. These are people you already have same interest commonalities, so just be fully aware of this before you get on that plane.

For example, my friend-categories fall in three specific stages – the ones I grew up with, the ones from University and the last are from my mid 30’s with a mix of social and work. Which were the group that I found most inspiring and a huge turning point? The middle one! The University crowd were the ones I travelled with overseas, the most imaginative in pushing me to my next level of intelligence, as well as the quirkiest. Mainly because we were all young and wanted to explore ridiculous things – like Gouache paint on eyebrows, or drive 300 miles to see a band who vaguely mentioned we may be on the guest list. These are the people who helped me bury a bird when I sprinted over it too fast (RIP), got lost with me in Portugal ending up at Royal Castle and pushed me to enter creative marketing competitions, which I won. These are the people who nudged my brain cells to a whole new level, simply because we had artistic things in common and encouraged each other to excel, without fear. Our common ground – we all chose the same program in the same city and that was where the fun started because each of us were brand new, off the plane and not got a clue which way was up!

As you gear up to study abroad and fund your trip on myTab, really keep in mind that the people you’re about to meet could be the best friends you ever had. Be aware of the potential in these people and how they can be the biggest influence you’ve ever had. Your childhood friends may not sit up with you all night working on 60 design illustrations or test you on ratios of dinosaurs’ teeth in Museum Studies, but your study abroad friends will.

So have a really safe trip and remember, your childhood friends will always be there but start making room for the new wave of BFF’s that will take it to a whole new global level, Gouache and all!

 

By Heddi Cundle

myTab.co – a social travel gift registry where you can gift, save, plan and book travels