Studying abroad is one of the most exciting and fun opportunities I have ever been a part of. With the excitement, your personal health and well-being can easily be overlooked so you can make time for other plans. I am one of those people who prioritizes making the most out of my experiences and wants to do everything while I am there. Because of this, I saw and experienced so many great things, but was exhausting myself in doing it. Over a two week period, I was averaging well over 16,000 steps per day without even mentioning the hills and slopes that is included as well. I reached a point about three-quarters of the way through my course that I decided to take a rest day. On this rest day, I slept in and only left the hotel room twice to get food at the neighboring mall and the rest of the time was spent talking on the phone, streaming movies, and studying for my upcoming final exam. I cannot recommend enough that people should prioritize their well-being because it truly paid dividends for the rest of the trip. I felt completely rejuvenated and was able to do more things the following days than I would have otherwise such as climbing Sintra outside Lisbon or enjoying a tour of the southern coast of Portugal on a catamaran with the rest of the class. I was also able to knock out all of the necessary coursework that remained for the class so I would be able to better enjoy my time as well. My advice to future study abroad students is that sacrificing one day to rest and take care of yourself is worth maximizing your enjoyment of the entirety of the trip.
