If you haven’t already been convinced to travel abroad during your college career by the many study abroad ambassadors UNCW has, hopefully, this article will do the job!
The summer before my senior year was definitely one for the books. I spent seven weeks in Pennsylvania with an incredible internship where I was able to gain tons of real work experience while meeting unforgettable friends. Once I completed this journey, I was home for all of five days before packing up all my belongings and heading to Europe where I would spend the next five weeks. My program was faculty-led, meaning two professors from UNCW would be traveling across the globe with us to teach preselected classes over the course of our trip.
Since this was only my second time flying on my own and I knew no one going on my trip, I was nervous, to say the least. It didn’t take long for me to realize just how incredible this trip would be and the lifelong friends I would make along the way. It took a few days to adjust to not only the time difference but also the different culture we were all exposed to. We took public transportation everyday and I soon learned how to navigate my way to and from the city with ease (it only took getting lost a few times).
While we were able to explore the great city of Bremen, Germany during the week, on the weekends we were able to travel by bus, train or plane to anywhere we could afford. The first weekend a group of my friends and I took a five hour bus to Amsterdam where we were able to walk through the streets taking pictures of the unique architecture of the canals and the quaint side streets. There were so many sights to see, including the famous Amsterdam sign, the Anne Frank House, the Red Light District and so much more. While the sight seeing was fulfilling in itself, the food was even better. We tried every kind of food we could get our hands on. Overall, it was a weekend we will all never forget.
The next weekend another group of friends and I traveled to Mallorca, Spain for a relaxing beach weekend where we were able to escape the rainy summer weather that Germany had. While our weekend wasn’t planned as well as we had hoped, we got to add a little color to our skin while we enjoyed an incredible view of the sea.
The last weekend we decided to stay in Germany, so we took another five-hour bus to Berlin. As soon as we stepped off the bus we knew we were in for a treat. All of the architecture was so beautifully crafted that there wasn’t a street we didn’t want to explore. We spent a majority of our time sight seeing and watching the locals as they carried on with their everyday lives. We were able to walk through Museum Island and then trek all the way to the Berlin Wall all within the same day. It was truly an incredible opportunity that I wish everyone could experience.
I was able to extend my trip another week and meet my sister in Croatia, where we saw the most breathtaking views, tried many flavors of ice cream, went chasing waterfalls all while trying to blend in as locals. This was by far the most beautiful place I had ever been and we were both sad when our last days came and went. I wouldn’t trade my experience studying abroad with anything else in the world; I will remember this trip for the rest of my life and the friendships I made. I encourage everyone who can, to travel while they are in college and have the time to do so!
{Photo courtesy of MacKenzie Capps}