After finally making it to Europe, I had to quickly learn about the transportation used throughout all of Europe. If you do not know, Europeans use trains to travel quite frequently. This is also how my friends and I traveled throughout our trip when we were not on the bus with the program. This first learning curve took place in the Rome Airport. I landed in the airport and had to figure out where the train station was and where my train would be coming to. Luckily, I ordered my train ticket beforehand and gave myself plenty of time to find the station and figure it out. Throughout the airport’s exit were signs with a train on it, so this made it easy to find the station. I also do not recall there being English on any signs, so the pictures were extremely useful. Once I was at the station, I had to figure out the screens. All the train stations had screens that live updated with your train number, the location, arrival time, and the platform it would arrive at. This was very important to learn since it is the main way to know that you are on the right train. I would also recommend asking someone that works there if you are not sure. On my first train, the train number did not match for some reason, and I almost missed my train. However, I asked the lady helping people out and ended up getting on the train last second. My best advice is asking a local that speaks English or someone that works there. They understand it is different from the United States and that a lot of people are foreigners. Majority of people I asked for help were more than happy to help throughout my trip to Italy, Slovenia, Germany, and Austria.
On a different note, throughout my program there were a few times that I got some free time. I highly recommend that you take advantage of your free time and go explore. The events I did with my study abroad program was fun. From touring a glacier, sailing out of Riva del Garda, and wine tasting in Trento. However, some of my favorite memories I made while abroad were things I did with my friends in my free time. We went to a Formula 1 race in Imola, toured the Bayern Munich stadium, and went to the beach at Lido. Those were just a few of the things we did, but I really loved the Formula 1 race and the Bayern Munich tour. These were two things I never would have thought to do or would have really gone out of my way to do. However, one of my friends wanted to go to these events, and I just said yes to going. To start, I had never seen, watched, or kept up with Formula 1; however, I went because it was something to do. It ultimately ended up being extremely fun and an experience I might not ever get again. I highly encourage you to go out of your way to do new things and go explore. You never know what may become a highlight of your trip.
If you only read this, I recommend you put yourself out there to try new things and ask for help when you need it. Asking for help can save a lot of time and stress while you are abroad!
