My abroad trip ended a couple of weeks ago, and I have fully readjusted to life back in the States. The program I participated in consisted of four countries and five locations: Venice, Italy; Trento, Italy; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Munich, Germany; and Innsbruck, Austria. We completed this at a generally fast pace, spending 17 days abroad. Now that I have returned, this is my reflection on my experiences.
Overall, studying abroad was a fantastic experience. The number of sites we could visit made the trip worth it alone. It may seem like we were rushed to see everything with the time allotted to each place. I felt like it was the perfect amount of time, however. We were ready from the moment we stepped off the bus to explore, which would last until we left said location. It was a lot of walking, but your body adjusts quickly to this. Other than that, we spent a good chunk of time on a bus, traveling from location to location. Due to this, we learned how to sleep on buses very fast to save time in a new place. Naturally, this was some of the less enjoyable parts of the trip, but as the group slowly grew closer, the bus rides became more fun every time.
With the amount of traveling we did as a program, you may wonder where school came into play. For our particular program, we had completely online projects to complete in groups. In my opinion, they were not too labor-intensive. Additionally, they are due at the end of the summer, giving us the option to complete it in our free time abroad or in the States. Our instructor was keen on getting us as much experience abroad as possible rather than sticking us in a classroom. This allowed us to go on other side quests outside of the program’s itinerary, such as the F1 race in Imola or a day trip to Florence. Speaking of which, the program paid for some of the trip’s highlights, including sailing on Lake Garda, seeing an actual glacier in the Dolomite Mountains, and even a winery tour.
One suggestion I have is to extend your stay if possible, especially if your program is shorter like the one I was on. It just makes your experience so much more. Many others and I decided to go to Rome for a couple of days afterward. We were already in Italy, so adding this wasn’t too much of an added cost. For me, flying round trip through Rome and training to Venice costs less than flying directly to Venice. This allowed me to save some money and use it for housing in Rome. By doing this, I was able to add major bucket list items to the trip, like the Colosseum and the Vatican, making an already amazing experience that much better.
