How to be an interesting person

Chateau Frontenac 

I found this article via my school's study abroad office and found it intriguing. Even though I've only been abroad two weeks (it feels like more!), I can already tell how it has changed me. And I agree with almost all the points in this article, which I've posted below for easy reference. 

However, I completely disagree with #8. The author states that those who've gone abroad are "more interesting  than those who haven't lived abroad." This really infuriates me. I've met so many interesting people who have never even left the U.S. People who've had incredible experiences without leaving their own country. People who've lived full lives and have so much wisdom to share. People who are full of joy and ready to share their life stories. For example, this man I met while working as a sales associate in a very small country town. 

Yes, studying abroad is exciting and different, but it doesn't make you the most interesting person to ever walk on the earth. 

You know what makes you more interesting? Being interested in others. Being a thoughtful person. Being a person who is always ready to learn from others and to take advice and wisdom gracefully. 

Be a person who is more interested in others than himself/herself. 

(Also, someone called the author out in the comments and she said that it was meant as joke. But like my journalism professor says, if you can't commit to satire 100%, just don't.) 

1. Suddenly you can do anything. There is no more empowering feeling than being absolutely terrified of something and doing it anyway. The knowledge that you can do this will stay with you for the rest of your life. It will seep into your relationships, your career prospects - it will help drown out the inevitable moments of self-doubt.

2. It challenges preconceived judgements. We all have them - beliefs that cultures are a certain way and opinions on whether or not we agree with this way of life. Living in another country is totally different to visiting it. You get a privileged peek inside and, while that may not mean you ever truly understand what you see, you will realize that you never know enough to judge. Hopefully you will be thirsty to discover more.

3. Understanding a new culture is more enriching than you could ever imagine. Once you do begin to understand the weird and wonderful goings on around you, you will also start to look at your own culture differently. Those who have travelled and even more so, lived abroad, have a much more realistic and balanced view of their own country. In my experience, these are the best people to know.

4. Patience. Many countries have no concept of queueing; you may never get your post; you have no idea what you're ordering in restaurants; and in certain places it is so unbelievably and incredibly frustrating, you will be reduced to tears at the apparent impossibility of what was previously so easy back home. 101 in patience training.

5. You will get lost and then found. This will happen again and again. You will learn to cherish it (unless you're on your way to an important meeting, in which case you will want to scream).

6. You will fall in love. With food. A city. A culture. A building. A feeling. You will probably also hate a lot of things. It's a time of extreme emotions.

7. Every day is an adventure. You will never know what to expect when you leave your front door. You will have countless "Really? Did that really just happen?" moments, purely because you're not in Kansas any more and things are done differently around here. If you're smart, you'll use those moments for creative fodder, or to give your pals back home a giggle.

8. You will be more interesting than those that haven't lived abroad. Of course they may not see it that way and may not really care about all your exciting stories of adventure in far flung places. Their apparent disinterest won't bother you though. You've conquered the world.