It’s been a goal of mine to travel the world since I was really young. Studying abroad this summer has been a wonderful experience that I will never forget, one that has allowed me to gain the courage to embark on even more trips abroad and to fully experience what the world has to offer! In the days leading up to my trip to Italy, I was a little stressed about ensuring I had everything in order. As my program took place during the May interim, I had a week after finals to get final preparations ready. Although this was not my first flight, it was my first international trip. Here are some things that I kept in mind that helped me to get everything in order!
- Prioritizing comfort! For both on the plane and during the program. My program took place over 2 weeks and we would be doing lots of walking and traveling to a new city every few days, so I made sure to bring clothes that I already knew would work well. It was important for me to choose items that wouldn’t take up too much space in my luggage, are comfortable, light enough to stand the heat, and are easy to clean! I do wish I spent more time focusing on the easy-to-clean bit- it would have been nice to have easier clothes to wash so I wouldn’t have to pack too much! As there were few to no laundromats near where we traveled, it wouldn’t have hurt to be extra prepared!
- Bring fun items! I wish I had brought my physical journal- I journal a lot. Looking back I definitely could have slipped my journal and maybe a few supplies so I would be more comfortable when adjusting to a new culture! I did have a digital journal that worked well, but it would have been great to have a fun item that I use often with me.
- Lastly, choosing wisely! In many things leading up to the trip: packing, items, flight seats, etc. to make sure I wouldn’t be too stressed before arriving. Because I had never traveled internationally before, I didn’t really consider the length of the flight and ended up wishing I was more prepared for things like getting up during the flight and bringing snacks (in case the airplane food didn’t sit right with me). Fortunately, I wasn’t too unprepared, and the flight went smoothly!
I hope this post helped you consider new aspects for preparing to study abroad!
