Going abroad in just over a month, I have so much to prepare for, but even more to look forward to. Even though I need to do tedious tasks like get a new ID, buy another suitcase and gather an array of necessities ranging from underwear to a travel backpack, none of it outweighs the excitement of getting on a plane and flying 11 hours away to a new country, a new continent.
And within that excitement, I’ve narrowed the top three things I’m looking forward to.
- Food
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Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you I’m one of the pickiest eaters ever. While my mom always gets on me for it, I never take any of the heat thrown my way to heart. So what if I don’t want to try her mushroom bisque or have a slice of pumpkin pie? It’s not hurting anyone.
I’m the type of person to stick to the meals I like and not go out of my way to try something new unless it’s free, but when I touch down in Barcelona, I’ll be trying everything and anything I can. I come from a blended household mixed with El Salvadorian culture, but I’ve never had authentic meals like pupusas and tamales, so when I arrive in Barcelona I’m going to have all of their special and unique dishes I can find.
I’m going to try my best to try something new every day, or five times a week at the very least. When I visit my roommate in Dublin, I’ll force myself to try the dishes I can’t even pronounce, or when I take a train to Paris, I’ll order some escargot or whatever the French eat.
When I’m going to be out of my element in every way possible, I might as well push out of my comfort zone and assault, or reward, my taste buds with meals they’ve never experienced.
- Fur
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Shopping, shopping, shopping. That’s been a mantra keeping me from going crazy on Shein this semester or waking up at the crack of dawn for Black Friday deals, because whatever I buy in the U.S. will not compare to the hidden gems I’ll find abroad.
Come hell or high water, I will be posted outside every flea market I can find, searching for some fur coats that fit the Barcelona fashion scene or digging for an old designer purse to take to the clubs and cafes.
I’ve always been a thrifting fiend, going to my favorite places in my hometown whenever I’m on break, but thrifting in Europe will heavily outshine what I find in the outskirts of Maryland and D.C.
I used to hate buying clothes and didn’t pay mind to fashion or how I looked, but I’m excited to ditch the sweatsuits, in public at least, and don a denim skirt and lacy blouse that I would never wear to my COMM 180 class in the middle of January.
- Flights
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The main reason I wanted to study abroad in the first place was to travel. I have never been to Europe and the only stamps on my passport are from Cancún and the Dominican Republic, so I’m ready to experience a whole new array of cultures and view new scenery.
I can’t wait to ride camels and go sliding down the dunes in Morocco, walking along the Seine in Paris and dancing in the pubs in Dublin. While I’ll spend most of my time in Barcelona, I’m making sure my summer and fall paychecks won’t go to waste as I board flight after flight, train ride after train ride.
I’ll never get this opportunity again, so I’m making sure I can scour every inch of the world that I can while I’m away, even if it means being in debt to my parents when I inevitably ask them for some more money.
As long as I try a few new dishes every week, refresh and reinvent my style and hop on a plane as much as possible, I’ll know I had a successful study abroad.