Being an International Student

Being a college student for five and a half years in Portugal magnified my perspective about life, people and the world, in a multitude of different ways. I've always felt the urge of experiencing how life would be in different cultures than my own. But since constant traveling is a perk within the reach of a selected few I had to find a way to compensate being most of my time in my own country.
The internet is surely the most reliable, broader and always present mean, along with TV, books and magazines, to learn about distant worlds. But I found that the simple act of having a beer with somebody born and raised in a completely distinct environment than your own is the closest you'll get to actually experiencing those surroundings. So during my academic course I tried as much as I could to get together with international students. At the same time I was getting to know them, I tried the understand where they were coming from and what they were experiencing at the moment.

"International Friends" diner at the Alumni House 

At the present time I find myself in the position that I've always been wondering what it would feel like. And let me tell you, despite the gazillion of problems and obstacles you're going to get bombarded with regularly, it's still worth it!
I guess that it the end it all comes down to perspectives. Changing the environment you live in automatically changes your perspective about life, and you start to appreciate the small beautiful things around you.