Packing for success
Packing up and moving for 5 months is not an easy feat. Especially when you have to add baggage weight limitations and the ability to take everything you have on the go. Then you add in the fear of something being lost or stolen, and it turns into an even more overwhelming task. I somehow managed to take a carry on, backpack, and one checked bag with me for my semester in Barcelona. When I arrived I noticed that many...
UA in Oxford: Upon Return
It has been one month since I arrived back home from Oxford! I catch myself missing my sweet little English spots nearly every day. Looking back on my adventures, I can now say with full assurance that my month abroad enriched my life in so many ways. When I arrived in America, I was so excited to see my family, friends, and eat Chick-Fil-A again! After our long return flight (full of lots of turbulence and not much sleep), I was...
Eating Abroad
Going abroad, you are introduced to all new foods, and for me, that was what I was most nervous about when going abroad. I typically struggle to stray from cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, so my first attempt at eating in Spain was quite a struggle. My first meal in Spain was dinner, which threw me off as they do not eat dinner until 10:00 p.m. or later. On top of holding off eating my dinner, they eat tapas which are similar to...
How to pack for abroad
If you are anything like me, you understand how difficult it is to try to pack for an entire month in Europe it is a rather difficult task to complete. Aside from trying to decide what to pack, I think that figuring out how to pack it all is the most difficult. This makes it hard to even decide what you could possibly need for a month abroad. And if you’re me, everything has to fit and one suitcase is not feasible for ten days...
Through the Windshield
For the past six months, I’ve heard a steady stream of advice regarding this next semester abroad: stay hydrated, wear comfortable shoes, take pictures, carry cash, honestly I could dedicate this entire post to all of the tips, tricks, recommendations, and well wishes that have been pouring in from all sides since January. But as my departing flight looms closer, the words that ring loudest in my mind are “You will be a different...
Returning to the USA
Getting back home was a bit of an adventure. My flight was delayed 2.5 hours, causing me to almost miss my connection back to New York. By some miracle, I made it through customs in Dublin and boarded my plane. Upon arrival I was exhausted, and shocked at just how different things were back home. The main thing being air conditioning/circulation and readjusting to less daylight. Aside from the rush of delayed flights and jet lag,...