How to Travel Abroad While Already Being Abroad

The clear water at the beach in Nerja

Traveling abroad while already being abroad is one of the many highlights of studying in another country. For me, and for a lot of my friends that I have made here as well, however, traveling, especially with just a group of friends, is a process of finding what works for you and what doesn't. After four months of having my own personal traveling experiences around Europe and four months of hearing about other students'experiences as well, I have become a pro at the art of creating the perfect weekend excursion. Here is a helpful list of some tips that served as my guideline to traveling this semester.

1. Do research, research, and more research...about yourself as a traveler.

One of the most important questions that you can ask yourself about traveling is what do you actually care about seeing and doing while going to a new place? Are you interested in history? Would you rather just walk around the city and enjoy the architecture? Is the local cuisine the number one priority? Figuring out what you want to do is key because that is how you make traveling plans.

2. Apply what you found from the first tip and keep what you want in mind when you look for people to travel with you.

Although it's really easy to plan your trips the first week while abroad and have everything planned for the rest of your semester, make sure that you plan trips with people that have traveling interests that correlate with yours. It's much easier to enjoy whichever part of the city fascinates you when everyone with you is in agreement that this is what you all want to do. Believe me on how crucial this mutual agreement is.

Chefchaouen- The city of blue!

3. Time is money

Just like almost everything in life, there is only so much time and only so much money- Make sure you find the balance of both of these when traveling! Even if taking a bus to one city, flying from that city, and then taking another bus from that city to your destination saves you money, remember that the time it took for that whole process is time you will lose from the already short weekend that you have available. On the flip side, keep in mind that traveling by bus rather than a plane is usually a cheaper means of transportation. If you are on a tighter budget, this is an option!

4. Plans, no matter how simple or complex you make them, should never be set in stone.

The reality of traveling is that things happen. Flights get delayed, museums close unexpectedly, or maybe the weather is just not agreeing with the daily activity. Sometimes everything doesn't always work out, but that doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy your time. Be flexible while traveling and make the best of every moment even if it's not marked on your itinerary.

5. Make sure to always have an umbrella, some type water resistant shoes and weather-appropriate clothes with you! One of the things that can put a damper on your traveling is not being prepared for how cold, rainy, or hot it might be that day. You will not regret it!

Traveling while abroad is another life-changing experience in itself! Make sure you live it to it's full potential!

The famous bridge of Ronda

Inside the Colosseum in Rome