Making the decision to travel abroad was one of the bravest decisions I have ever made. During this time over-seas, I learned a lot. I learned a lot about myself as a person and about life outside of the United States. I wish someone would’ve told me some of these things before I went on the trip. If you ever plan to study abroad or just take a trip to Europe, here are some things you should know.
1. Don’t over pack.
While I was preparing for my trip, people kept telling me to not over-pack. They reminded me that I would be shopping while I was there and I would want room to bring some things home with me. Well, it’s not that easy. How was I supposed to go on a trip to Europe for a month and half with only five nice outfits? Needless to say, I didn’t listen and boy do I regret it. I learned very quickly that having two suitcases and a back pack is not easy to tow around metro stations. Most of the places we went didn’t even have escalators-just stairs. So, do not over pack. A small suitcase and a back pack is plenty.
2. Bring walking shoes.
For me, I’m more worried about fashion than comfort. I brought way too many pairs of shoes that just weren’t ideal in Europe. It is totally okay to match a pair of nice tennis shoes with a cute outfit. The amount of walking I had to do there was crazy. We walked almost everywhere every day. My pair of tennis shoes became pretty much the only shoes I wore the whole trip.
3. It’s OK to be lost.
I’m a person who likes to have a plan and know exactly what is going on and where I am going all the time. The first time I got lost, I panicked. I was in a completely new country with a new culture and no cell-phone service. The only thing I could do was keep walking until I ran into either a metro stop or something that looked familiar. I ran into some of the most amazing things when I was lost, and it became one of my favorite things to do by the end of the trip.
4. Know how to read a map.
I grew up in a generation that relies on cell phones. Whenever I need to get somewhere, I just type it into my phone, and it walks me through, step by step, how to get there. When I got to a foreign country and didn’t have service, I relied on maps. In each place I went to, I made sure I had a map of the metro stations and a map of the city. I never left my apartment or hostel without those two maps in my bag. You’ll learn very quickly that maps are your best friends as a tourist in Europe.
5. Enjoy every single moment.
The truth is, trips like this are once in a lifetime trips. I found myself thinking about how lucky I was while I was abroad. I was doing something that I had always dreamt of doing, and it ending up being much more than I ever expected. Time flies by so make sure you take in, and enjoy every moment you have there.
