“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.”
Michael Palin
No excuses!
Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it might be a pain in the arse for your schedule. But all of the pros will far outweigh the cons, this I can promise you. There might not be another period in your life where you can spend time totally immersed in the culture, while being semi productive (as in, taking classes/interning). So find a way to put your excuses on the back burner and just do it. Do it for you!
Be a tourist! (for a little bit)
It’s easy to say “I have four months to do that, I’ll do it later.” But the time goes by way too quickly. I know of some friends who made the mistake of saving a few major things for the last-minute, and with only a few days left, including finals, it was hard to get everything done. And the only thing worse than not studying abroad at all, would be to study abroad and not live it to the fullest! If you need some help getting started, I found the best guidebooks to be those by
Rick Steves (
London) and Lonely Planet (I own
London
,
England
and
Scotland!). His walking tours are genius, and he’ll help you get the most out of your time and money. We got to meet his son,
Andy Steves who also does excursions once you are abroad!
Keep a diary or a blog or an instagram...
This may seem obvious, but it’s something that a lot of people plan on doing and only stick with for a week or two. And I get that, because it can be very time consuming and/or stressful if you let it! If it’s not your thing, you don’t need to write a page about your daily life, yet just include a few pictures of major highlights. I blogged my life in London pretty regularly. It was the perfect way to stay in touch with family back home, keep all of my memories bottled up in one place and make new blogging friends! The last reason there, surprised me, but I have made new friends virtually from the whole experience and it has been amazing. Try starting small by keeping track of where you go, restaurants, anything you would want to recommend to someone else. That way you can at least share your suggestions!
Be a local with the locals.
You’ll get a real feel for the culture and may even become friends with a few along the way. I attended yoga at the same studio as often as I could and this is where I met my favorite British friend!!
Do as the locals do & eat as the locals eat.
Every culture has a unique cuisine so be sure to learn a few tricks to take back with you! I always asked a lot of questions, so I hope I can make some mean mushy peas when I live in America! Local markets are a great resource for seeing how food is reflected in a culture, and they often have foods for you to try that you may not normally order. There is so much more to each culture's food than you probably first image. You think England is only fish n chips & pints? Well my obsession with mushy peas, green juices, and pink lady apples would tell you otherwise.
Be a backpack-er.
It will force you to pack quite lightly. Old cities with cobblestone streets are also not the best for wheeling around suitcases (or strutting around in heels, so don't even attempt), and if you’re late for a train, you’ll be glad you can easily run to catch it. And you know all those annoying straps that come on a North Face backpack? Not so annoying when they help take the pressure off of your shoulders, they are heavenly actually! (*speaking of travels, don't forget the city you are living in has extraordinary things going on during the weekends as well! I met people on my program who never hit some of my favorite markets or attended a British football game. What!?)
Just wander.
This is how you find the hidden gems not crowded by tourists, but rather the locals who know the good spots. Again, ask questions! You truly see a city when you are a bit lost, and these places will likely become some of your favorites. The places that are most special to you! I also loved taking some time to explore by myself. It allows you to stop and see what you really want to, its always nice to reflect on things alone as well.
Do an internship! (or some activity outside of school)
Internships not only provide great experience, but a lot of them are just plain cool. I cannot speak enough great words about my internship (and the people I met through it! Oh the people!!) while living in England and the amount of things I learned about my career but more importantly, myself. I think this is where you separate yourself from being a traveler in a foreign country (which is totally cool, if that is what you want to do) and being deeply immersed in the culture, becoming a true
expat.
Finally, look at each day in life as the next big adventure.
The day I packed my bags to move back home, I felt nearly the same emotions I did as the day I arrived. So sad to leave behind the life you know, but so excited for what is to come. It is an extremely bittersweet situation. I can honestly say,
I had fallen in love with two places, two different lives. And now you have to combine all the bits of yourself and live accordingly. I love this quote..
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
cookbook I bought my dad in England!
book. After an awkward time limit (I think the lady working there thought I probably read the whole thing), I left and its all I have thought about. But oh the beauty of online shopping!