FOMO = The fear of missing out
It’s come and gone over the last few months and last night it hit me all over again. My sorority had a formal dance this past weekend and the pictures were everywhere. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat… every social media outlet that I use was a reminder that I missed out on a great time.
I was worried about this happening before I left, so I had a conversation about it with one of my friends who had previously studied abroad. She told me:
Time doesn’t stop when you’re abroad. Things happen; people change, relationships change, and unfortunately you miss that.
This couldn’t be more true. With the large role that social media plays in our every day lives, I think it is nearly impossible to be not be plagued by FOMO at some point during a semester abroad. It’s easier than ever to keep up on every single event that happens. I enjoy seeing what my friends are up to on campus but it’s hard to get rid of the nagging sense that so much is happening and I’m missing all of it. Most times its not even big things. A picture of a coffee date or a lyric posted from Chapel are instant FOMO triggers for me.
Right about now you’re probably thinking, “she’s in France! why on earth does she want to come back to Holland?!” The answer is simple: Hope is home. So many people that I love and hold dear are half a world away. The semester is almost finished (where did it go?) and as much I would LOVE to leave my life in the US and eat bread in France forever, I am ready for my FOMO days to be a thing of the past.
But today it’s here and it’s real. However, I think a pain au chocolat and stroll by the Loire River are just what I need to get me back in the moment.
-Rachael