Moved from the west coast of the US to France for a year. I would unreservedly recommend living in another country for an extended period of time, preferably be

Moved from the west coast of the US to France for a year. I would unreservedly recommend living in another country for an extended period of time, preferably before you're 30 or 35. I was in my 50s when I did it, and it was a little too late. My ability to acquire language skills was much better when I was younger. I think the most valuable lesson I brought back with me was that I sometimes speak in vague sound bites. I didn't notice before living in France because everyone around me seems to do the same thing. I'm not going to call it 'an American cultural trait' but it might be. Noticing that has inspired me to focus on clarity in my thoughts and communication. Other useful lessons: people are pretty much the same all over; ease of travel between EU countries is so much better than when I backpacked around Europe in the 1990's; a lot of things we take for granted in the US are full of incomprehensible friction in many other countries (e.g. opening a bank account). And vice versa, to a smaller degree.