5 things I would’ve done differently
Since my return, I've really missed Seville. I've been home now for almost 6 months- unbelievable. I miss the heat, I miss walking everywhere, I miss speaking in Spanish whenever I want, I miss the food, I miss the people... I just really miss Spain. But also I’ve realized I miss blogging a little too!
I decided to make a list that’s half for myself for future reference, but also for any students who might come across this before they study abroad. I hope to return to Spain and Europe as soon as my bank account refills, but it could be awhile before I have another chance. This list of 5 things will hopefully be a good refresher and reminder for my future travels, and maybe the adventures of others!
1. speak more spanish
When I got to Seville in May, I had extremely high expectations and hoped to leave as a fluent Spanish speaker. I’m still so far from fluent, but I also accepted reality and understood that I was only there for 8 weeks! However, I do wish that I had been surrounded more by native speakers and had spoken even more Spanish than I did. The next time I go back to Spain, it will most likely be by myself. I’m actually really excited for that because I know I’ll be forced to rely more on my Spanish. Because I studied abroad with an American school and was constantly surrounded by Americans, we always had English to fall back on with one another, or there were 5 of us who could work together to construct a sentence for a stranger. On my own, I hope that I will be able to learn even more in an even shorter amount of time so that I can finally call myself fluent one day.
2. travel less
Don’t get me wrong- I don’t regret any of my travels that I did on my long weekends. I actually wish that I could’ve traveled more in Spain and throughout the rest of Europe. However, I do regret not having more weekends and long periods of time off to explore just Seville and really get to know “my place.” I had so engraved in my mind that I didn’t know when I’d be back next- or if I ever would. If I am in a similar situation the next time I’m in Spain (i.e. living semi-permanently in one particular city), I definitely will try to set aside more weekends to immerse myself in “my city” while still taking time to travel.
Now that I'm more knowledgable about affordable travel in Europe, I also know that I will be able to budget better and plan better in order to make the most out of weekend excursions when I am abroad again. I went on so many weekend trips where I literally just hopped on a bus and knew the name of my hostel and a few things I wanted to see. I'm definitely satisfied with what I was able to accomplish in my laid back adventures, but I think I can make more out of a short time with better planning, and I can certainly save money.
3. figure out money stuff before hand
I left for Spain with almost 200 euros, a debit card, and a credit card and figured I’d be good to go. My cards “have no fees” so I was counting on withdrawing a few hundred euros for the summer when I arrived and mostly using my credit card for substantial purchases. Well... my card company charges no fees, but there are still all sorts of foreign fees. I racked up about $80 just in fees over 2 months. I ended up using my credit card way more than I had even planned on just because a machine ate my debit card, but still... $80 for nothing is just disappointing! Also, I found that credit cards weren’t as widely accepted as they are in the US. I have a Visa which is accepted worldwide, but a lot of restaurants and even grocery stores wouldn’t and couldn't take a credit card. I tried to prepare by calling my banks and credit card company before leaving, but that is a must-do when traveling abroad. I still don’t even know what exactly I could have and should have done to make the financial situation easier for me while abroad, but I will definitely try to be even more prepared next time!
4. pack less
I am generally a very good packer. I limit myself when necessary, but I also make sure to bring unthought of things that I’m later glad I brought. I packed a lot of things that I actually didn’t even wear when I was in Spain. I had weekly laundry, so I didn’t go through as much as I had planned on. I naturally bought quite a bit of clothing while I was in Spain, and then I had even more and tended to wear the same few things. I was glad that I didn’t waste space in packing toiletry items that I easily found and purchased once I arrived. Drugstores and little markets are as easy to find on any given block in Spain and Europe as they are in the US. Again, packing is something I’m not sure how I would’ve planned for better, and I’m sure I’ll still overpack when I go back. I was also in very casual situations, whereas I could be student teaching or working next time.
5. disconnect from home
Technology is so great, I really don't know how I would have made it through my first 8 week trip on my own without having an instantaneous connection to home. I loved having FaceTime or Skype, iMessage, email, and social media so easily accessible. It was a perfect way for me to share, and also for me to communicate with everyone who I was missing. And, Europeans are just as addicted to their smart phones and technology as we are. But I wish I would have spent a little less time on social media in particular. I don't regret directly communicating with my family and friends or setting up FaceTime dates, but I definitely could have made some better use out of the many hours that I spent with my phone. Usually I'm all for technology, but I wouldn't consider myself an addict either- yet next time I go abroad I do want to limit my screen time and take in all that I can where I am and "vive en este momento."
My study abroad experience was truly a case of learning from my mistakes- over and over and over again. I could write a novel on what not to do, but I think all of these tips are generic enough to apply to a variety of experiences. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and tackle your next trip abroad like a pro :)
I decided to make a list that’s half for myself for future reference, but also for any students who might come across this before they study abroad. I hope to return to Spain and Europe as soon as my bank account refills, but it could be awhile before I have another chance. This list of 5 things will hopefully be a good refresher and reminder for my future travels, and maybe the adventures of others!
1. speak more spanish
When I got to Seville in May, I had extremely high expectations and hoped to leave as a fluent Spanish speaker. I’m still so far from fluent, but I also accepted reality and understood that I was only there for 8 weeks! However, I do wish that I had been surrounded more by native speakers and had spoken even more Spanish than I did. The next time I go back to Spain, it will most likely be by myself. I’m actually really excited for that because I know I’ll be forced to rely more on my Spanish. Because I studied abroad with an American school and was constantly surrounded by Americans, we always had English to fall back on with one another, or there were 5 of us who could work together to construct a sentence for a stranger. On my own, I hope that I will be able to learn even more in an even shorter amount of time so that I can finally call myself fluent one day.
2. travel less
Don’t get me wrong- I don’t regret any of my travels that I did on my long weekends. I actually wish that I could’ve traveled more in Spain and throughout the rest of Europe. However, I do regret not having more weekends and long periods of time off to explore just Seville and really get to know “my place.” I had so engraved in my mind that I didn’t know when I’d be back next- or if I ever would. If I am in a similar situation the next time I’m in Spain (i.e. living semi-permanently in one particular city), I definitely will try to set aside more weekends to immerse myself in “my city” while still taking time to travel.
Now that I'm more knowledgable about affordable travel in Europe, I also know that I will be able to budget better and plan better in order to make the most out of weekend excursions when I am abroad again. I went on so many weekend trips where I literally just hopped on a bus and knew the name of my hostel and a few things I wanted to see. I'm definitely satisfied with what I was able to accomplish in my laid back adventures, but I think I can make more out of a short time with better planning, and I can certainly save money.
3. figure out money stuff before hand
I left for Spain with almost 200 euros, a debit card, and a credit card and figured I’d be good to go. My cards “have no fees” so I was counting on withdrawing a few hundred euros for the summer when I arrived and mostly using my credit card for substantial purchases. Well... my card company charges no fees, but there are still all sorts of foreign fees. I racked up about $80 just in fees over 2 months. I ended up using my credit card way more than I had even planned on just because a machine ate my debit card, but still... $80 for nothing is just disappointing! Also, I found that credit cards weren’t as widely accepted as they are in the US. I have a Visa which is accepted worldwide, but a lot of restaurants and even grocery stores wouldn’t and couldn't take a credit card. I tried to prepare by calling my banks and credit card company before leaving, but that is a must-do when traveling abroad. I still don’t even know what exactly I could have and should have done to make the financial situation easier for me while abroad, but I will definitely try to be even more prepared next time!
4. pack less
I am generally a very good packer. I limit myself when necessary, but I also make sure to bring unthought of things that I’m later glad I brought. I packed a lot of things that I actually didn’t even wear when I was in Spain. I had weekly laundry, so I didn’t go through as much as I had planned on. I naturally bought quite a bit of clothing while I was in Spain, and then I had even more and tended to wear the same few things. I was glad that I didn’t waste space in packing toiletry items that I easily found and purchased once I arrived. Drugstores and little markets are as easy to find on any given block in Spain and Europe as they are in the US. Again, packing is something I’m not sure how I would’ve planned for better, and I’m sure I’ll still overpack when I go back. I was also in very casual situations, whereas I could be student teaching or working next time.
5. disconnect from home
Technology is so great, I really don't know how I would have made it through my first 8 week trip on my own without having an instantaneous connection to home. I loved having FaceTime or Skype, iMessage, email, and social media so easily accessible. It was a perfect way for me to share, and also for me to communicate with everyone who I was missing. And, Europeans are just as addicted to their smart phones and technology as we are. But I wish I would have spent a little less time on social media in particular. I don't regret directly communicating with my family and friends or setting up FaceTime dates, but I definitely could have made some better use out of the many hours that I spent with my phone. Usually I'm all for technology, but I wouldn't consider myself an addict either- yet next time I go abroad I do want to limit my screen time and take in all that I can where I am and "vive en este momento."
My study abroad experience was truly a case of learning from my mistakes- over and over and over again. I could write a novel on what not to do, but I think all of these tips are generic enough to apply to a variety of experiences. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and tackle your next trip abroad like a pro :)
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