Since applying to study abroad in Copenhagen back in the fall, it’s felt like some distant dream rather than an actual plan to move to another continent, even if only for a quarter (oops, semester!). With pre-departure meetings attended, flights finally booked, and an impending to-do list of visa appointments and health clearances, it’s quickly becoming reality. But maybe time is passing a little too quickly.
With summer approaching, so is the halfway point of my time at UCSB (slow down, please and thank you), and every quarter here seems to fly by faster than the last. Considering how fleeting my first two years here have felt, I’m afraid that this highly anticipated time abroad will pass me by.
To make sure I’ll be able to properly reminisce when my not-so-distant quarter in Denmark comes to an end, I’ve put together some ideas for sentimental ways we can all commemorate our time abroad.
A Signature Scent
Have you ever walked into an office and somehow gotten a whiff of your second-grade classroom? Or did you put on an old perfume and get transported back to the headspace of when that used to be your everyday scent?
Whether these instances bring back joyful feelings or ones that are best left in the past, your sense of smell is a window to different eras of your life. This is because scent is strongly tied to emotion and memory, and we can take advantage of its nostalgia-inducing power to create these associations on purpose.
Separated by the North Sea next quarter instead of the usual few feet between our beds, my roommate and I have planned to go perfume shopping together before our departure. We’ll each select a new scent and make it our signature to dedicate to our time abroad.
This way, long after we’ve returned to Isla Vista and completed our junior year, the perfume will serve as a sensory time capsule. Just remember to purchase the travel-sized version!
Build An International Collection
As a deeply nostalgic person, reminiscing needs to be as tangible as possible. With most of my housemates also spending their fall quarter abroad, we’ve made it our mission to cover our fridge with magnets from all the countries we collectively visit.
If you’re also planning on taking advantage of the Eurail or Ryanair, a small keepsake from each of your destinations could be collected into a personal museum of your travels. Anything from a ring from each country to a shoebox full of postcards and museum tickets could do, and keeping it consistent with the same type of object will give you something to search for everywhere you visit. This mission makes for a great way to explore when seeking out these keepsakes!
Find Your Soundtrack
Like scent, music is so intricately tied to memory. Like the troves of old seasonal playlists cluttering my Spotify, I know that someday the albums I’m hooked on now will serve as a memory of this time in my life.
A fun way to hyperfixate on a certain artist and make them the soundtrack of your time abroad is to book a concert ticket in your exchange city, or somewhere that’s at least a cheap flight away. With an upcoming concert, you should be sure to study up on the artist to prepare for their setlist, and bonus points if you do it while staring out the window on your flight there.
Usually, how it works for me is that I’ll become more obsessed with the artist and their music after the concert. If the same goes for you, then that artist will certainly become a core piece of your study abroad experience.
Choose Your Diary
For five years, I diligently wrote in a One Line a Day journal, gifted to me by my mom. This pocket-sized book of 365 pages has a simple mission: to help the writer remember small moments from each day throughout five years.
Mine was filled up by the end of my freshman year of college. I’m so grateful to have stayed consistent with just a few sentences each day, recording some of my favorite memories from such an exciting time in my life.
I plan on doing the same while I’m abroad! However, I might take a more open-ended approach and use a blank journal this time around. This way, I can paste in train tickets, museum brochures, and other paper snippets from my travels between entries, while still following the One Line a Day format, which is one of the most manageable ways I’ve found to consistently journal.
If you dread writing journal entries, try a photographic or digital approach! Instead of snapping thousands of identical pictures on your phone, consider bringing a digital or disposable film camera to capture your favorite moments.
It’s especially fun when there’s anticipation in waiting for your photos to develop rather than seeing them instantly. And also, creating a wall of printed photos would be the perfect way to settle back into Isla Vista!
To more vicariously revisit your memories from abroad, I suggest vlogging! It is such a vivid way to truly freeze a moment, feeling, and the environment. My favorite travel bloggers, Eva Meloche and Lolita Olympia, artfully piece together commentary, sounds, and landscapes to record their trips.
I adore their videographic style and feel like I am wherever they filmed! I can only imagine how special it would be to rewatch ones created by myself and my friends.
Whatever method of memorabilia you select, keep in mind your future self and how she’ll cherish these keepsakes as the vividness of those memories abroad inevitably dims. Choose your favorite, stay consistent, and you’ll return home with a collection of memories that are truly unforgettable!