My Advice on Traveling While Studying Abroad

I’ve found there's a misconception about studying abroad: that we have to travel to new countries every weekend—trek the Sahara, hike the mountains of Portugal, or ski the Swiss Alps. In my opinion, this lifestyle can become unrealistic when approached with a mindset of scarcity over abundance. When I decided to study abroad in Limerick, Ireland, all I had was a blueprint of Instagram posts of friends exploring the world. Every week was a new destination, full of smiles and new friends, rarely showcasing the unseen reality of travel.

Although a semester in Europe provides opportunities for cheap and short flights anywhere, something inside me knew that avid travelling could quickly become an avenue to flex our adventurer status. Meaning, students will book multiple flights and accommodations when in reality there isn't much desire to go on the trip.

Realizing this, I saved hundreds of dollars by intentionally taking two international trips and visiting six Irish cities within my five months abroad. Compared to friends who travelled to 10+ international cities, my study abroad experience might seem wasted. But in my eyes, it was full and complete. I had the chance to explore the country I chose to live in for a semester, understand the culture, and appreciate the environment (whether it be in rain or shine). I was able to have late night roommate talks, spontaneous nights at our campus pub, early morning walks at the market, and outings to the cinema!

Before I travel anywhere I always ask myself, “what's the point?” It’s a straightforward question that reveals if I’m making decisions for the purpose of personal enjoyment or outward validation. Often it leads me to press forward or lean back from decisions I plan to execute.

For example, a real instance of this is when I planned a six-day solo trip to Paris for spring break. I had everything booked and couldn't wait for my aesthetic photos of the Eiffel Tower, French cuisine, and solo pics in the evening light. I was overly excited for this planned Instagram post, yet the actual trip didn't spark my interest as much as I thought it would. When I asked myself my simple question of why, my only answer was I wanted to showcase my eventful time abroad. Awkward yet insightful, I knew my motivation for this trip was boosting my ego, not enjoyment. Therefore, it gave me permission to cancel this trip, saving me the headache of validation over fulfillment.

Of course I’ve had FOMO (fear of missing out) seeing my friends on Instagram having the time of their lives. But I quickly realized that avid travel comes with a price, and it’s not always financial. Eventually flights every weekend take a toll on your mental and physical health. At the start, lack of sleep and hours of transportation seems exhilarating until it turns to exhaustion, leading to sickness, fatigue, and a lack of motivation for schoolwork. It is so easy to become burnt out when your mind is in a scarcity mindset, a mindset that makes you believe that now is the only time you will ever get to see the world.

Many say, “when will I ever be able to travel like this again?” so they give it their all. But in my opinion, that is the furthest thing from the truth! Adventure is a mindset, not a destination. In learning to take advantage of your time abroad, you will be able to intentionally and purposefully dive into cultures without succumbing to the pressures of others “highlight reels.”

This post was written by Kyrah Mullings, a student at Hofstra University who studied abroad in Limerick, Ireland.