Studying abroad is arguably one of the most exciting times of a collegiette’s career. Every day is a new adventure with so many unique things to do and see. You will travel and experience so many different cultures that sometimes it’s hard to keep track of everything you see. Also, it can be daunting to stay in touch with everyone back home and thoroughly explain all that you’ve been doing. This is why everyone going abroad must create a blog! A blog is an easy way to document your time abroad for everyone back home, and even for yourself, to enjoy. Tumblr and WordPress are two great platforms to blog about your journeys.
Both Tumblr and WordPress are free and incredibly easy to navigate. Tumblr is a great option for those of you who are looking to share lots of photos and videos. Just go to www.tumblr.com and sign up with your email address. Once logged in and directed to your homepage, it is very simple. You just click on the icon that refers to what you want to upload. There are seven options: text, photo, quote, link, chat, audio and video. For iPhone and Android users who plan to use their phone to take pictures, you can even download the Tumblr app and upload pictures and videos straight from your phone.
If you’re looking for a place where you can share your semester through writing, WordPress is the perfect place to create a blog. Just like Tumblr, it is incredibly easy to sign up on www.wordpress.com. With an email and a username that you create, WordPress will set up and configure your own custom domain that you will be able to share with family and friends. WordPress is the perfect place to create more of a journal-type blog. You can also connect your Instagram and Twitter accounts with your blog to maximize all that you share with your readers. There is an app for iPhone and Android users that allows you to instantly share your experiences.
The great thing about both Tumblr and WordPress is that you can make your blog as fancy or as plain as your heart desires. You can download backgrounds and special fonts, or keep it simple with no background at all. Either way, your blog will serve as the perfect place to share and reflect on everything you experience throughout your semester. While living abroad, you learn so much about the world, yourself and life in general, and it is so important to document that journey. It is so easy to forget about the people you met and all the places you saw when you are back in America, which is why a blog is so important when you study abroad. It will help you remember all the special moments you’re destined to experience. When your back at Bucknell and longing to be in your host city, your blog is the perfect thing to look at to help ease your post-abroad blues.
So, for everyone preparing for their spring semester abroad, take a few minutes to set up a blog before you go, so that you can share your incredible experiences. Happy blogging!