This is just a thought on my own experience with traveling overseas - I am probably weird and have an incorrect sort of view, but this is how overseas travel has shown itself to me ^_^
The first time before I went I had no idea what to expect.
I figured since it is so far away and such a huge change, that it must be like some wild adventure, a great challenge, and a new way of living.
For the first 2 weeks, I guess its something like that; but not exactly. The challenge is there in the form of insecurity, uncertainty of what to do, and the sense of feeling uprooted - it takes a while to settle in and find one's place. For a while it's a bit topsy-turvy.
Once it all levels out, you'd figure that it'd be the 'real' start. But really, it's all just the slide down (in a good kind of way^^, but never-the-less).
Staying overseas seems like it'd be a whole new stage, a whole new act, and a leap into something new. Once the initial shock is over, though, life continues as normal with what I guess could be called 'a change of pace.' You still have to attend class, still have to figure out how to get errands done and find friends to talk to - the same daily things one does whereever they live - just with added spices of doing it in a foreign language ^^
I'm not saying it's a bad thing!
Depending on how you take the change in pace determines whether the time will be good or not. In Croatia I fought it because I felt so guilty and let-down by my inability to learn language quickly. Here in Japan, even though I can't speak much Japanese and can't understand TV shows, I'm having a blast! It helps that I have lots of friends here and manga, I must admit...! But still, it's really just a matter of adapting to change in pace.
Going overseas can be awesome ^_^ I am enjoying it^^ I don't want to go home! ^^ But I do miss cheesecake and my brother's nagging^^