For many college graduates, the goal is to find a job or get accepted into a prestigious graduate school. Mia Broderick, a recent Bryant Graduate of the class of 2019, decided to take the road less traveled. That road has led her on the journey of a lifetime as she travels across Europe feeding her hunger for adventure.
Mia graduated this past May with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management and a double major in Spanish. On campus, Mia was the Treasurer of BUSCO and a member of the sorority Tri Sigma. She loves yoga, hiking, walking her dogs on the beach, and lunch dates with her friends at CAVA. In order to learn more about the extraordinary things Mia has done during her post-graduate life, we were able to get in contact with her from overseas and ask her some questions.
HC: What made you want to spend 365 days abroad?
MB: My first time abroad was my junior year of college to study abroad in Malaga, Spain. One of my majors was Spanish and I wanted to fully immerse myself into the language. During that semester, I traveled most weekends to different cities and countries. It was then that I realized how much there is to explore. Ever since that semester, I have wanted to go back to Europe to knock off some of the places I had wanted to visit but ran out of time. I chose now because I really had nothing holding me back after graduation. No house, car, job, boyfriend, kids, anything.
HC: What have been some of your favorite places you have traveled to so far?
MB: Montenegro has been one of my favorite places so far. I had no expectations of the country. I stayed for a week in Kotor, at a hostel that was located right on the bay. I spent my days on the beach, doing a boat trio and hiking to watch sunsets. I think this trip really stood out to me because of the people. It felt like a home away from home.
HC: How do you go about planning your trips, especially in regard to hostels?
MB: I planned an itinerary for my first three weeks which included just booking hostels. I knew it would be easier to book buses once I was there. During my next six weeks, I planned day-to-day or sometimes a few days in advance. I wanted to leave flexibility in my travels as I was always meeting new people and getting new suggestions on places to go.
HC: Have you found it relatively easy to make friends while traveling abroad by yourself?
Mia: Definitely! Even though I’m technically traveling alone, I never actually feel alone. Staying in hostels makes it so easy to meet new friends. Most people are usually traveling alone or in a pair. I have met people from all over the world, but mostly a lot of Aussies.
HC: What advice do you have for those interested in backpacking, especially by themselves?
Mia: If you want to do it, book the flight. Find a cheap deal and just go for it. Once you book the flight, you’re more likely to actually follow through with the plan. The hardest part is having the courage to get there. Once you’re there, everything else comes easier. Find someone who has done it before or join a Facebook group for backpackers/travelers. I didn’t know anyone personally who had done a trip like this, so I joined two different Facebook groups: Girls Love Travel and Backpacking Europe 2019. These groups allowed me to ask questions and see questions/suggestions/concerns of other travelers from all over the world
Mia is still venturing across the world as we speak. If you would like to see more of her travels firsthand, she has a blog and has been updating her followers through Instagram. Both of her accounts will be linked below. She is life goals right now!
Good luck with the rest of your journey Mia, safe travels!
XOXO Her Campus Bryant
Instagram | Blog
All photos provided by Mia Broderick