The clock is ticking. As I sit here realizing that in less than forty-eight hours I’ll be boarding a plane to Madrid, I cannot help but bear feelings of both thrill and terror. Part of the reason I am panicking is that I am currently staring at an empty suitcase. The moment that I zip up that luggage will be the moment that my travels become real. As exhilarating as that sounds (and trust me I am excited), it is also a reminder that I am vastly inexperienced in travel! The suitcase that I am staring at is not even my own! This loaner luggage represents my trial run in traveling - will I fail in my adventure and turn into a blubbering Delaware-sick mess? Or will I succeed in fleeing the nest and be able to hold my own in Madrid, Seville, Barcelona, Granada and Rome for the next four and a half weeks?
To be honest, my jitters are warranted. I am truly a travel novice. This Tuesday I will be getting my very first stamp in my passport, finally spreading my wings and following my dream to travel to Europe. Now, I look back and think about myself a year ago, sitting in my freshman dorm ambitious and hopeful, applying for this opportunity of a lifetime. My friends thought I was a little ahead of my time, as most students don’t decide to study aboard until they are more seasoned juniors or seniors. My reply was, “well, why wait?” Of course, back then I never thought the day would actually arrive.
As the departure date got closer and closer, I was busy running around campus to class, work and meetings. I hadn’t had time to consider these fears and worries. But today, in the days following Christmas, I am able to sit and finally fathom the journey I am about to take. So instead of senselessly worrying about a list of uncertainties, here is a simple set of guidelines to live by throughout this wondrous adventure:
- Mingle!
Make awesome friends! Part of what makes studying abroad such a remarkable and unique experience is that you have the opportunity to meet loads of new people. This is a chance for you to not only make friends to bring back to Delaware, but also a chance to mingle with locals in a new place and appreciate different kinds of people. So, talk to everyone, listen to his or her stories, tell your own. Be vulnerable. Take note of cliques forming and welcome everyone. After all, your peers have the same fears as you! The moments you spend with these people you will remember forever. Make them meaningful.
- Grow
Be brave and do the “extra” things! Take advantage of your time aboard and do as much as you can. This means you should be spending as little time in your room as possible. Learn how to Flamenco, pick up some new Spanish phrases, watch the running of the bulls and attend a “futbol” game. These are the experiences that will leave you a more worldly wise.
- Embrace the culture and new experiences
Keep an open-mind. For the next four and a half weeks you get to experience the world in a different way. Welcome different norms in the moment. You will always be able to read and hear about these practices but actually living through these routines is a rare and beautiful opportunity. That being said, you must under no circumstances judge the culture around you until you have participated in it. So don’t send back the food that freaks you out, don’t cringe at the women’s outfit next to you or freak out when someone kisses you on the cheek. Make this experience more than simply a change of scenery. Take the advice that a wise friend said to me only a few short months ago. Explicitly, the words used were “Be uncomfortable!” to which I laughed and did not quite understand right away. However today, I realize this command to embrace discomfort is really just asking you to live outside your comfort zone, to learn from experience and be grateful for awkwardness. It means you are doing it right! So, embrace feeling uncomfortable and discover something from it!
- Remember that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience
Be thankful everyday. By the end of this experience have no regerts! When you are in Rome during your final days aboard having read every travel book, seen too many sculptures and explored a boat-load of castles, churches and museums, don’t be sorry you missed out on churros and chocolate sauce or mad you napped through the last sunset. Don’t take a second for granted. Live in each moment during the next four weeks without counting down the days until you return to Delaware for the spring semester. So, be thankful for every minute that you are privileged enough to not only be a student, but to be have the luxury to travel and learn by experience.
The only thing standing between you and an incredible trip is... YOU. The clock is still ticking. Spain and Italy are awaiting your arrival. They are fascinating places that will show you a good time if you let them. End your reservations now and get packing...but remember to leave room for the fur vest you’ll no doubt impulsively buy abroad!
