The one thing you will underestimate after finishing your study abroad is the jet lag you will experience. I have never been one to head to bed at 8PM, but with this jet lag it’s a whole other story. I was in Spain for 2 months. I did not have that rough of a time adjusting to the time difference when I was arriving to Spain. This gave me the misconception that it would be fairly easy to acclimate going back to the United States. Little did I know that I would have the most difficult time adjusting.
Madrid is 7 hours ahead of Tuscaloosa. So, the adjustment from Tuscaloosa to Madrid was easy, but coming back has been really hard. Every night around 6PM I start feeling really tired, and when I realize that in Madrid it’s 1AM it clicks as to why I feel so tired. As for how I have been combating it is just by staying awake as long as possible. So usually around 8PM I start feeling the exhaustion and try and push myself until 9PM. Also, NO NAPS no matter how tempting it feels.
I guess what I am trying to say is that don’t underestimate how much the jet lag is going to affect you. Make sure to give yourself a week to really adjust. Don’t do what I did and jump right back into life. On top of the jet lag there is going to be a culture shock of coming back to America. Especially if you traveled abroad for a language program, the shock of not speaking that second language is intense. On the other hand, if this is all the negative side effects I have experienced from studying abroad I would do it again in a heartbeat, no second thoughts, just yes.
