Quick Tips for Your Travels Abroad

1. EXPLORE!!!

Of course you need to see the major attractions; you can’t exactly be in Paris and never see the Eiffel Tower. But once you’ve done the “tourist” stuff, get off the beaten path and explore the city that is your new home. Learn the side streets, neighborhood café’s, and local markets and boutiques. Truly immerse your self in the culture. Not only will you see a side of your host city usually only seen by the locals, but you’ll have a chance to make new friends! Some of my best friends are people I met in small local markets or pubs during my semester abroad in England. My abroad program may have ended 2 years ago, but I’m still in constant contact with them.

One of my favorite experiences abroad was a 3 day weekend in Paris by myself. My first night there I chose to explore the neighborhood near my hotel in Montmartre. Wandering along, I found the most amazing little café I’ve ever been to This small, dim café, lit mostly by candelight full of hard wood and soft leather, and excelent jazz, was the exact match to the picture I had in my mind of a “traditional French café”. I spent my evening chatting with the owner/host/waiter/chef who kindly supplied me with a free glass of wine to go with the steak he recommended. I can honestly say, it was one of the best meals, and best evenings of my life, and I’d never have found it if I hadn’t gotten away from the tourist traps!

2. Learn the Language

You’re in another country, be respectful of that and learn the basics before you get there. You’ll be surprised how far “please”, “thank you”, “Hello”, “goodbye”, and simple phrases such as “where is the bathroom?” and “my name is….” will get you. Never taken a foreign language or in a country different from the language you studied? Grab some language CD’s from the local library before you go and learn some of the basics. Not only will it make a good first impression on the locals (Hey, being able to approach someone in their own language is simply the polite thing to do), but it will make your first few days a little less intimidating. Being familiar with the language spoken around you, even if you’re not fluent, will be comforting while you’re experiencing the stress, frustration, and adjustment of jet lag, culture shock, and homesickness.

*** Note: POCKET DICTIONARIES!!! I had one for both French and Italian and lived out of them during my travels! They’re easy to find at any bookstore. (They may not fit in your pocket girls, but you can find them small enough to fit in a purse/tote/backpack which you’ll probably be carrying anyway!)

3. Relax and be open to new things!

You’re going to mess up and say or do something considered “stupid” or “wrong” by your host country. Just accept it, use it as a learning experience, and move on; no sense in crying over spilled milk. You’re not the only person to go abroad and make a mistake, see my post “Experience the Local Culture” for examples of my own embarrassing mistakes. Going abroad gives you the opportunity of a life time: the chance to live and work/study in a new culture….take advantage of it! When else are you going to get to learn how to prepare and serve a proper English Tea, get to run with Kangaroos in Australia, or learn Italian while in Italy? You are the guest in your host culture, be understanding that things will be different from home. This does not make them wrong, or you wrong, just different. That’s part of the excitement! How boring a world would it be if we were all the same?

I can promise you, that if you take the time to explore and be open to your new surroundings and take advantage of every new opportunity presented to you, you will learn more about yourself, the world around you, and your place in it, then you can ever learn in the classroom.

~ post by Kristen