As we head into the new year, many college students are getting ready for the experience of a life time: going abroad. When getting ready to go abroad, there are a million things to do in a short amount of time. Before having your world rocked and your comfort zone eliminated, here are some things you should and shouldn't do before you go abroad:
Spend Time With Friends and Family
It may seem obvious, but these are people who you won't see for the next 3-4 months, so make sure you have plenty of time with them before you leave so you feel like you've made up for lost time. Remember, these are extremely important people in your life, so don't blow off this part of the list. It means more than you think. Short little dates, like lunch or dinner for an hour or so can go a long way.
Pack Carefully
Packing for 3-4 months is no easy task. There are so many clothes and only so much space in the suitcase. As you go through your closet to find things to bring, suddenly every shirt you own (even the ones that still have the tags on them) seems appealing With limited space, you must be selective about the clothes you bring abroad. So bring the most versatile clothing that you own in order to create new outfits with old clothing. Just, try not to stuff every shirt you own into that suitcase.
Do NOT Go Shopping
This one is especially difficult, especially when you think about all of the things you need before going abroad. Only buy the really important things, like a new rain coat if you really need it. Save all of your money so that you can go shopping when you're actually abroad and can buy new and more stylistic things that reflect the culture you're living in. Trust me, you'll be happy you saved the money.
Sleep
Jet lag is real, in fact it may be more real than you think. Those 6-10 hour time differences can really kick your ass when you first arrive at your destination, so make sure to catch up on all of your sleep before you get on the plane so you can at least kind of feel well rested.
Spend a Lot of Time at Home
When you first get to your destination abroad, it might take you a few days to adjust. You'll really regret those late nights out away from your home bed if you don't spend enough time at home. Your homesickness will eventually catch up to you and you'll realize you should've been more mindful of how much you would miss your home, at least for the first week or so.
Do Not Get Into Fights
This might seem like a weird one, but you definitely don't want to spend the weeks leading up to your trip fighting with your friends or family. Obviously if the fight is worth having then do it, but try to avoid it at all costs if you can. You don't want to leave the country in a bad place with anybody, so do whatever you can to make peace with your mom quickly after a stupid fight.
Say Goodbye
Goodbyes are like the world's worst inventions. Unfortunately, when we don't say goodbye to people after leaving for a significant amount of time, we feel empty and incomplete. Before you leave for abroad, say goodbye to all of the people that matter in your life, even if it's a really brief five minute meeting. When you first arrive in that foreign country, you'll be happy that you were able to hug your best friend that one last time, even if you both ugly cried in public.
So before you head off on your amazing adventure of a lifetime, complete all of the things on this list and you won't have any regrets before heading out of the country.
