“YES Abroad,” standing for Youth Exchange and Study, is a program that I heard about from my friend who studied in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a small country next to Croatia. During her third year of high school, she stayed with what’s called a "host family" and learned a lot about the lifestyle and culture from them and through attending school there. She is still in touch with her host family and the friends she made during that year!
Another way to see if you like living in another country is to teach English there. For example, there are programs that you can sign up for in France and Spain after finishing college. As a native English speaker, you can help people who want to improve their English. Often, you are paired with a local English teacher and you get to explore that country during your free time.
I feel grateful for the opportunity to live in Croatia this year, which is possible because I received the Fulbright grant. That means I’m being paid to create a research project! I applied for the grant a year in advance and wrote about what kind of project I’d like to do. I chose to make a documentary film, a movie about real-life people and their stories of moving to or back to Croatia. Storytelling is a powerful tool to help inform people and bring about positive change in our world. Do you like to tell stories? What is something you would like to see improve in our world?
The message I’d like to leave you with is to stay curious! Keep asking questions about the world around you. I encourage you to consider living abroad at some point in your life. Continuing your education is an excellent path to reaching your goals. Thank you for joining me for part of my journey here in Croatia!
