Five ways to live your year abroad life now you’re back in Edinburgh

It’s not quite the same but it’ll do

1 year ago

Coming back after a year of galavanting around Paris or cycling through the streets of Amsterdam, it can feel a little weird to be back in rainy Edinburgh, but I’ve compiled a list of five ways you can live your year abroad in Edi and bring some of that energy back.

1. See your year abroad friends

As months have now passed since you returned to the UK, your time away can begin to feel like a fever dream. Reminiscing with friends from your year abroad is a great way to keep those memories alive, and to appreciate just how unique those experiences were. It is also a great way to air out your pretentious new vocabulary and the ways you feel Edinburgh “doesn’t quite fit your lifestyle now.”

2. Dress to impress

It’s not about being abroad, it’s about dressing like you are. A turtle neck and a scarf – subtle and yet desperately mysterious. You could even opt for a more loud choice, maybe an “I heart Paris” t-shirt, letting everyone know just how worldly and wise you are now.

3. Have a bucket list

After six weeks of seeing the same 12 characters in George Square, Edinburgh can seem like a village. Making a bucket list of things to see and do will force you to experience the city beyond campus and escape the ghosts of your first year past. Take yourself to the Modern Art gallery, go for a swim at Portobello, visit the world’s most pierced woman on the Royal Mile…whatever floats your boat.

4. Caffeinate

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Whether you are lounging outside Victor Hugo or filling up your thermos on fourth floor, coffee is an essential accessory to your livelihood as a year abroad wannabe. If I learnt anything from my time away, it’s that coffee is not just simply a social event, but a form of punctuation. Pre-tutorial boost or post-tutorial pick me up, the answer is yes every time.

5. Be shameless

Coming back to Edinburgh from the anonymity of a year abroad can be daunting. However, with one year left, you really have nothing to lose. Join a niche society, eat your packed lunch alone…because if you were doing it abroad, nobody would even notice.