There is no greater FOMO than seeing your friend’s abroad pictures; Paris, Rome, London, Barcelona, Dublin. No matter the place, the FOMO stings the same. Here are my humble comparisons of our campus landmarks to landmarks abroad, so you can pretend Champaign is a luxurious place too.

1. Abroad – Eiffel Tower, Paris, France: In my opinion, the Eiffel Tower is the king of them all. If you did’t get a picture of you with it in the background, did you even go abroad? Standing 986 feet tall, this bad boy is a pretty incredible sight. Traveling to the top is also a must do. This landmark is a Snapchat goldmine. Bonus points if you get a reservation for the restaurant at the top!

Illinois – Alma Mater: Standing a whopping 13 feet tall, this campus landmark is also the must-see icon. Although travel time to the top is substantially less time consuming or thrilling that that of the Eiffel Tower, it’s still fun to do. The people below may not look as ant-like, but standing next to Alma, Labor and Learning in their bronze glory still makes any die-hard Illini get butterflies.

2. Abroad – Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy: This Italian icon is known for it’s accidental tilted structure and of course it’s photo op potential. The Tower of Pisa is beautiful and breathtaking. It is also the perfect backdrop for a casual, Italian dinner. Pizza at the Leaning Tower f Pisa, how cool is that? Make sure if you do see the Leaning Tower, you get a Leaning Tower shot glass. Shot glass or it didn’t happen. 

Illinois – KAMS: Ah, The pride and joy of every Illinois grad. You definitely have to go here or you definitely didn’t go to Illinois. If you want to make your KAMS experience more extravagant, remember that DP Dough delivers, so I guess you could eat a luxurious Italian dinner here as well! And even though KAMS’ foundation is in tact, the smell will probably knock you over and then it will look like it’s leaning! So pretty much, KAMS equals European vacation. 

3. Abroad – Santorini Donkeys: A ride to the top of this stunning city courtesy of a cute, furry friend sounds like quite the adventure. The donkey ride is another must do when studying abroad. It provides a perfect time to take scenic pictures, a once-in-a-lifetime selfie and an opportunity to make a new cuddly companion. This is definitely a thrilling experience you cannot get back in the states so don’t miss it!

Illinois – Campus Squirrels: The most loved and hated mammals at Illinois. You either love or hate them and there is no in between. Like the Santorini donkeys, the squirrels are very unique to our campus; you will never find squirrels like them anywhere else. Also like the donkeys, the squirrels are very photogenic. Make sure to shoot from a far though, those things are very unpredictable.