How do I ask for water in French? I am going to die of dehydration because I don't know how to say "water" in any other language. Help.
In just a few short months, I will be departing for Luxembourg. As you can imagine studying from January to May in a country you have never been to can be nerve-racking.
Here are the 10 anxieties running through our heads:
1. What if I get homesick?
I cannot just hop on a plane ride home when I miss my family. Suddenly that two hour car ride home on the weekend seems like a distant fantasy. Thankfully there is Skype, What's App, and more. But nothing beats being at home with your dog cuddled next to you. It's important to soak up what is around you and try not to worry about home. You have a few months in Europe and your whole life to be home.
2. You speak two languages: English and Spanglish
How does one ask where the bathroom is or if they want something to eat? Cue curling into a ball and pulling up Google Translate. Try catching up with some basic questions in that language on the train ride there.
3. How am I going to fit my life into one suitcase?
I don't even know what to pack. Part of me wants to buy hipster european sweaters with combat boots and part of me wants to get a fanny pack and a pair of New Balances. It's important to not completely stick out like a sore thumb, but your mannerisms will be a dead give away of where you are from. Don't worry about it too much. Please tell me they wear Lululemon there...
4. What if I get taken?
My dad is NOT Liam Neeson. If some crazy european dude kidnaps me, my dad will just cry rather than come storming into a yacht with guns to save me. Be aware of your surroundings.
5. I'm afraid I won't make any friends studying abroad, then I will be traveling France alone (see #4 again)
Or what if no one wants to go to the places I want to go? Everyone is in the same boat as you, they will want to see everything just as much as you do. Cut a deal, if you go to Ireland with your friend she has to go to Spain with you.
6. I need my highlights done, my eyebrows waxed, my monthly pedicure...
It probably will not be like your local salon at home, but Europe definitely has beauty treatment places too.
7. If I run out of money, do I starve or...?
Luckily, making bank transfers and online banking make the money situation in Europe safe. Let your bank know you're leaving. When they see 10 different bar charges in Germany come up, they will not be suspicious.
8. So let's say my host family hates me...
It is great to build a bond with them but if it doesn't workout, be respectful and remember you really are not home very often. You travel the weekends and are at class all day.
9. What happens when I love it so much I want to stay?
Luckily this is a much better scenario than hating it. Europe has lots of post-graduation opportunities and there are other places to study abroad!
10. FOMO.
I don't want to miss out on the day drinks. I don't want to miss out on the craziness that comes with my sisters, my roommates, or the late night Crunch N' Munch. The booths at 3 Trees suddenly are just as missed as your bed. The familiar smell of the frat houses will not be found anywhere in Europe. No place in the world is like Oxford.
