#it's just insane to me that we're categorized under the same label lmaooo

[italiantea]

like im not gonna write off the perks and obv it's a huge privilege etc etc it's fun and good and all but honestly a large part of it is just like *your mother teaches you the alphabet of your native language after school from your brother's beat up old textbook* *you are falling behind* *you always get ticket checked extra carefully on the subway* *your neighbours look at you strangely* *the first time you taste your culture's dish it's made from skippy peanut butter because your mom can't find a place that sells sesame paste* *you haven't seen your cousins in 4 years and don't remember how old they are* *you are falling behind* *you're not sure how to pronounce your name to people* *the only people who are like you are the children of that co-worker your father has beef with* *attachment issues* *socialization issues* *you are falling behind* *this place will never be home but it's all you remember knowing* *you are falling behind* *this is such a privilege and you aren't utilizing this opportunity properly* *you are seven*

honestly anything that happens before like age 12 shouldn't be called "studying abroad" it should be called "my parents put me in another country and also legally I had to go to school"