After 13 years abroad, I thought returning to the US would mean I 'failed.' It turned out to be the best choice for me.

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Laura Bronner

• I set off on a gap year that turned into 13 years living abroad with my partner.
• Because we moved around so much, it wasn't easy to make long-lasting friendships.
• So, even though I never wanted to move back, I ended up returning to the US.

In 2010, my partner and I set off on what I thought was a gap year.

After meeting while studying abroad in Switzerland back in 2008, we spent nearly two years in a long-distance relationship.