1.) Things will be different - Change is hard. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy to adjust. But pushing yourself, and leaving your comfort zone will be the best decision you'll ever make. At least, it was for me. Exploring a new country means completely re-learning how to live. While that may sound a little excessive, it's so true. Social conventions are different. People are different. Food, drinks, cosmetics, transport, work. It's all so alien at first. But I can safely say that after two years, it all seems strangely normal to me. I've come to realise that if you go abroad with the expectation of a life that is a mirror image of your life back home, you'll be sorely disappointed. Embrace the change. Once you do, it all falls into place. I promise.

2.) It will be scary - Stepping off a plane, realising that you have no idea what to do. It's one of the scariest feelings in the world. Fear takes so many forms (namely the Goosebumps story books, which still freak me out, despite being in my twenties…) but i think that the type of fear that people get when they travel, is also one of the most exciting feelings. I think that often, we live a life where we are so used to monotony and routine, that once we escape it, we simply don't know what to do. That's why we need these experiences. To push ourselves to the edge. We do it with roller-coasters, bungee jumps, skydives, eating street food (although that's another kind of scary). Its all the same. It all gives you that feeling of being alive, and everyone should know that feeling at least once - minus the street food feeling, that one isn't fun.

3.) You will struggle with language barriers - China has been a huge struggle, where language is concerned. It can be hugely frustrating when you just want to eat a meal without getting a headache trying to decipher the hieroglyphics on the menu, or when you try to tell a taxi driver an address and they look at you as if you are speaking dolphin. However, I've also come to realise that it must also be hugely frustrating for the people that are having to deal with the blonde, English girl, who seems to have a strange affinity for beef noodles. I've been lazy out here, with learning Mandarin. I mean don't get me wrong, I can get by. Holding a basic conversation and getting things done. However, it struck me one day when I was having a particularly bad day, that it must be frustrating for both myself and the waiter. Neither of us had the tools to communicate fully. But we got around it. Then he gave me some free watermelon. It was great. Be patient.

4.) Of course, there'll be bad days… - Aside from the obvious language barrier, life here can be tough sometimes. The eternal struggle with the rush-hour onslaught on the subway, the questionable prices for foreigners, the near-constant stares (which always seems a hundred times worse when you're hungover, and people try to take photos of you). Sometimes it can even just be a bad day at work. But here's the thing. As far as I can tell, we all have bad days. No matter where we are in the world. Regardless of how affluent you are, how well your career is going, how notebook-esque your love life. We all have bad days. Of course, some of the struggles are a little different out here, but it's all the same regardless. Bad days are a reminder that we shouldn't take things for granted, and more importantly of everything that we should be grateful for - even if it is hard to see.

5.) You will deal with the 'Oh, so are you still on holiday?' comments. - I know what some people think of me. They see me as a twenty-three year old with no direction, who is meandering her way through life. Okay, so it's half true. I am currently roaming around the world like a character in a Where's Wally book. However, it does frustrate me when people assume I have no direction. For me, travelling is what gives me life. It has changed me in an irrefutable way. It all sounds like such a banality, but I really can't articulate how much of an impact it has had on me. My decision to work and travel doesn't define my life, nor should it. However, it has helped to shape me into the person I am today, and I will never regret it. Happiness comes in different forms. For some people, happiness is found in having a big family. Others, a beautiful house. Some people want to climb the career ladder. While I hope to experience all of these things one day, right now, exploring the world just can't be matched.

6.) You'll make friends that leave, and it sucks - One of the great things about living abroad for longer than a typical backpacker, is that you can make some really strong friendships. The downside is of course, when your friends pack up and leave. It's happened a few times now, and it never gets easier to say goodbye. I really think that friendships abroad are something quite special. When you consider that you're all just thrown together, by coincidence (not fate - i don't believe in fate, because it suggests that you have no control of your destiny, which i think we all do…) and you meet so many different people. The people that you form bonds with are, out of thousands, the ones who will impact your life far more than you will realise. The fellow travel weirdos that would prefer a night of drinking beer down a Chinese alley way, than hitting the latest VIP club, who enjoy weekend breaks to bizarre places, and even people who appreciate your terrible jokes - who knew?! I've been so fortunate with friendships out here, and am so grateful. There'll always be a special place in my heart for those friends, and the experiences that we've shared.

7.) You might never want to go home - Well, for good anyway. Don't get me wrong, I miss my family and friends so much. Some days I miss them so much that my stomach actually hurts (typically at the weekend - Homesick Sundays are the worst). But I think that travelling is just in my bones now. Home will always be home. It will always be the place that gave me a great start in life, some lifelong friends and family that I wouldn't change for anything. It is the place of tea, sarcasm, and cider - some of my favourite things in life. And for summer vacations, or winter breaks, it'll always remain my first port of call. But the world is so big. I need to explore. So, while I might be off galavanting somewhere a thousand miles away, home is always in my heart. I just want to add a few more places to it, while I have the chance.

8.) You'll stop worrying - Well, if it's anything like life in China anyway. When I came here, I worried non-stop. I mean, about everything. Taking a taxi into the city, teaching a small class, having a meal with Chinese people, taking the subway. These days, not much seems to phase me. That's because if you were to worry about all of the little things here, your head would explode. So many things go wrong on a daily basis. Apartment blocks will be without water for days on end, because they have decided to improve the pipe system. You'll go to work at 8am, only to be told that all of your classes are cancelled. You'll go to a Halloween party two hours away, only to be told that they've run out of alcohol (despite having paid for a ticket)... So, why bother?! The best thing to do is just have no expectations. And just chillllllll...

9.) You'll appreciate the little things - Never before have I walked down the street, and paused to appreciate how blue the skies were, shared a beer with a group of complete strangers during the afternoon, or felt such an overwhelming sense of pride as I do when my students excel in my class. The little things that we so often ignore, are things that seem to be far more obvious to me these days. One day, I stopped for a good five minutes because the sun was shining through the tree leaves, on what must have been one of the first days of spring. It sounds so ridiculous, but I was just transfixed on how beautiful it was. Maybe this is just me though, I should get out more…

10.) You'll fall back in love with life - The places are beautiful. But the people are too. And the memories that you make with them - even perfect strangers - will be some of the fondest you'll ever have.