Year Abroad DILEMMA!

I can't decide whether to do my abroad in Amsterdam or not and I need help!

I know it's an amazing opportunity to do a year in Amsterdam, but I'm just not looking forward to it. And I don't want to get there and find I don't enjoy it at all..
I'm spending the summer working for Disney World Orlando (which is something I've wanted to do my whole life and I'm so excited for) but this means there will be literally a few days between that ending, flying back to England and the Amsterdam term starting. And I don't want my time in Florida to be ruined by getting nervous and stressed about Amsterdam and the little time I have to get packed and over the jetlag and get into a new term in a different country straight away. And this June I'll be finishing my exams and going STRAIGHT to Florida, so I'm going to get no time at home with my family for literally a whole year (because apparently people stay in Amsterdam over Christmas) and I don't know if I'll be happy spending that long away from them.
And then, bad timing but I got together with my boyfriend a few months ago and we've got really close now and just said 'I love you' and it seems pretty perfect, and I can't see it ending anytime soon and I really really don't want it to, but I also can't deal with an overseas relationship (he's coming out to Florida, but with a full time job he's not going to be able to come to Amsterdam all the time). So if I was in England next year there's hope we could carry on normally.
And then the ONLY other girl I know going has just told me she's pulling out. I know I'll meet people there, but how many people will actually be English? I'm fine mixing with international people obviously, but it will be dreadful if I'm the only English person I know and everyone else just speaking English as a second language. I feel like I'll be the odd one out :/
And they've already warned us that the accommodation is horrible and yucky and doesnt get cleaned and you find tramps in your corridor. So I am not looking forward to that. Then there's the whole weed thing, because people that have been before say you can't avoid it, everyone does it. I've tried it, I don't mind it.. but I don't do it regularly and I don't want to be around people constantly doing it.

HOWEVER, on the other side of things.. if I don't go I have to sort out housing somehow back at uni because my housemates already have theirs sorted. I don't want to disappoint my family or anyone else that thinks I'm giving up an amazing opportunity. And it is an amazing opportunity and would look amazing on my CV, BUT so will Disney and with the money I save by not going I could go travelling and do something I KNOW I'm going to enjoy.

Well done if you've read this far.. I just needed a rant really. Any opinions or thoughts are very much welcome pleease!!
xxxx

Reply 1

I'm_Unsafe.

Just do it, I'm sure you wont regret it and it would be a mistake to pass up the opportunity for a relationship that's only just started - if it's going to work it will work long distance too.

Reply 2

WaSaDa

You should really try it. It sounds like you're already under some pressure to do it so I don't want to add more to that but just try it.

You will make friends. I was terrified about going over but I've made friends. On exchange almost everyone is in the same boat and wants to meet up with as many people as possible. Orientation Weeks can be really fun (or, like we did, creating an alternative pub crawl is a great way to get to know people!). It'll also be a great destination for friends to come visit to.

And don't believe that you're going to be there all Christmas. You can go home whenever you want, it's not all that far away. I know people from home who had exams in Italy and France in early January and they still came back for Christmas. So don't think you're under pressure to not see your family. You can visit home when you want or need to.

I'm on Erasmus at the moment. It's a bit strange being a native-speaker in a group of second-language speakers but it's huge fun too (even just stupid stuff like teaching people slang). And you won't be the only native speaker. Where I am there's plenty of Americans, Australians, and Canadians as well as British and Irish.

You should try Erasmus. It's one of those things where you have to put up with stupid bureaucracy, terrible mistranslations, and sometimes real lonliness. But it IS a really good way to see what life is like living in another country and it can be really great fun.