Right now I am doing a masters at the same school that I just did a 4 year bachelors at. It's so much fun, but I really feel as if I need a shake up. I had to start thinking about what I can do next fall (I have been offered a spot to do a PhD here at the same school, but I would have to wait for money). I have never travelled outside of Canada and the USA, and never been on a plane so I thought - heck - I'll be 24 in February - now is the best time to do it before I get chained down!! So I am currently exploring the options of moving to another country (in Europe) for a year to 18 months to work (like do an internship). My advisors are totally thrilled at the idea and gave me contacts in Switzerland and Scotland. My mom cried. She was scared that I would never come back home. I cannot say what will happen in the future, but I would always TRY to make my way back home (Ontario - or at least somewhere in Canada) because of the simple fact that it is home and I love it. Saying that, however, my advisor was 24 when he left northern England to come to Canada to do his PhD and it was also "only for a few years" and he has been here for 35 years. My mom is slightly more excited now, because she wants to come and visit me!! She has always always always wanted to go to the UK (most of our ancestors are from there) so to her, Scotland would be the bees knees (and I must admit, me too). My ancestors are from Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, France, Germany and Austria-Hungary (yes, I am a bit of a mutt).

Anyway - my point is - has anyone ever done this? Moved very far away to a new country/state/province where they know nobody? If so, do you have any advice? I have actually moved twice to places where I knew nobody (from a small town where I was born to a slightly bigger city when I was 15 and from that city to my university when I was 19) - so really, it's the idea of a foreign culture that is so much different from those moves. I'm really excited at the prospect and I want to go so badly that I can taste it. ^_^