Around this time last year, I was preparing to go abroad to Strasbourg, France. I was a mixture of nerves and excitement. It would be the first time I left the country on my own to live for four months. Scary, right? In the weeks leading up to my departure, it really helped me to research and talk to people about the city I was going to and get input about things I should do while abroad to make the most of my experience. So, here I'm going to list my recommendations doing while abroad.
1. Eat whatever you want.
Seriously, just go for it! If you see some delicious pastry or dessert in the window of a bakery, go in and try it! It’ll be worth it, trust me. This is your chance to try the authentic cuisine of another culture and take advantage of it. In my experience, everything was so fresh and flavorful that I don’t regret anything I tried, even the escargot. Don’t worry about the calories because you’ll walk them off anyways.
2. Thoroughly explore your study abroad site.
This particularly goes out to all you that are studying abroad in Europe. Your first instinct will be to book as many trips around the continent as you can. While this is something you should do, you should also make sure that you are taking time to wander around and discover the area that you've been placed in. This is something that I wish I would have done more of in Strasbourg. So take some time and explore!
3. Commemorate your trip in unique ways.
I'm going to tell you right now that souvenirs are expensive. You're going to see a lot of cool things to buy that will commemorate your experiences everywhere you went. I did the same thing until I realized that I had a limited amount of space in my suitcase... a sad realization. So, I decided that the one souvenir I would get everywhere I went, though it's a little cheesy and unnecessary, were pressed pennies. I found these in almost every city I went and it was fun to find the machines. It was sort of like an adventure to keep in the back of the mind while exploring. Another souvenir could be postcards or keychains. Or take unique, creative pictures of each city, write a story about each one, scrapbook! I'm getting carried away now, but you get the picture. Find a cool, cheap way to remember these great experiences in traveling.
4. Get to know your host family.
5. Take time for yourself.
Living in the midst of a foreign city, culture, and language for a couple months can make you homesick sometimes. And that's ok. Everyone feels this way sometimes as it's normal to wish for the familiar. When this feeling descends upon you, don't ignore it. Yes, you're in an interesting new place and you don't want to waste any time exploring it. But you also need to take care of yourself. So, do something that'll help you relax. Watch Netflix, Skype with your loved ones, read a book, listen to music, do whatever helps you. I remember one weekend my friends and I took a trip to a quaint, little town in the countryside with the sole purpose of relaxing. We wanted a break from rushing around sightseeing. This place was perfect, the town was small enough that we explored it on our own time while also relaxing, cooking good food and watching movies. So, don't feel bad about taking time for yourself.
