I spent last summer in France for my study abroad experience. My program was almost two months long on the southern coast. It was the best experience of my life because I learned about myself and changed myself, and met lifelong friends along the way. After my program ended, I traveled to four other countries in Europe: Italy, Netherlands, U.K. and Germany. I decided to tackle it solo.

Although I had the time of my life, there were bumps in the road that complicated my time. This included travel plan disasters, under-budgeting and directional challenges. I am thankful for the time I spent abroad because I gained many insights. Here are eight things I learned from traveling solo in Europe that now help me in my everyday life.

1. Time management

Time is money. I started to understand this concept when I was abroad. Assuring that I was making the most out of my trip was important to me. Because I was only in Europe for a short amount of time, filling my days with as much sightseeing as possible was a must -- this meant scheduling my days and travel time strategically. I learned sunlight can be your friend, but it doesn't last forever. Finding yourself in the middle of a dark city with which you're not completely comfortable can be a challenge. Thus, you might spend an hour less at a museum to ensure you get home before sunset or wake up an hour earlier to make the most of your day. This habit of better planning helps me in my student life in the states.

2. Budgeting

I was only 19-years-old last summer and didn’t have a grasp on what smart budgeting was. It was August in Germany when I sat in the Frankfurt airport with $0.40 in my bank account as I awaited my flight back to the states. Amsterdam was my last stop in my travels and I had to be conservative with my expenses to assure I had something to eat because I budgeted poorly the entire summer. Because I struggled at the end, I learned to be more conscious about saving and spending money.

3. Blending in

Standing out as a tourist is one of the worst things that can happen when traveling. The good thing? It is avoidable. By laying low and picking up cultural cues, being stamped as a vulnerable tourist won’t happen. Now, when I’m in unfamiliar situations that can sometimes be uncomfortable, I can blend in from what I learned traveling. Being aware of your space is also important while traveling in new countries.

4. Communication skills

During my program, I traveled with a group of people to other cities in France, then to Italy and Spain. As fun as it was, I preferred when I traveled alone post-program for many reasons. Because I was solo, I was forced to make new connections with locals and people in my hostel. When I ran into an issue, it was my responsibility to resolve it. Because I’m human and don’t know everything, asking questions of strangers was essential. I not only learned how to be more social with people I don’t know but also how to communicate with others. There was a difficulty when there were language barriers; when that happened, I had to figure it out on my own. For example, there was one time when I was in my hostel in Italy and I had a question about the owners of the hostel. One of my bunkmates spoke a different language, so I used Google translate.

Communicating with others in my everyday life is easier because of my experiences in Europe.

5. Independence

When I traveled after the end of my program, I decided to tackle Europe by myself. I stayed with one friend in Paris, but other than that I didn’t have another travel companion. Although I met a lot of interesting people, I spent a lot of time alone. I learned how to enjoy hanging out with myself, and from that, I learned a lot about myself. I think it’s important to know yourself as much as you can, and one way you can do that is to travel alone.

6. Street smarts

Wifi and extended battery life aren’t guaranteed during travel. That being said, I had to rely on my instincts when I ran into issues. I would run into this a lot when trying to get somewhere. How has this helped me today? When I went on a trip to New York City in March 2018, it was simple for me to figure out the subway and getting around the city. Without learning navigation skills from my time in Europe, I probably wouldn’t have been the navigator of the group.

7. Mindfulness

Traveling to different countries and learning about other cultures has caused me to be more appreciative of the world we live in. I learned how to appreciate the present because sometimes that's all I could do during travel. Now when I live my life as a college student, I try to be mindful of my surroundings and appreciate little things every day.

8. Staying positive in times of stress

I made many mistakes when I was abroad. For example, I booked my hostel in London for July instead of August. When I got there, they only had one room left and it was expensive. At first, I wanted to break down and cry because it threw a huge wrench into my budget. I was also frustrated because I hadn’t slept for many hours due to a long bus ride, but I quickly got myself together because I didn’t have another option. I made the most of the moment, and London ended up being one of my favorite cities I visited on my trip.

I am much more relaxed than I was before I left for my trip. I don’t let little things bother me as much as they would have. This is especially helpful during stressful times with school work.

Overall, I had too many unique experiences to recount. With those experiences, though, I learned valuable insights that continue to help me today.