On Taking the Path Less Traveled

One of the most memorable parts about studying abroad so far has been traveling on the weekends. As much as exploring Dublin has been fascinating, I’ve loved visiting more of Ireland and other nearby countries on my days off. This might be the only time in my life where I can get short, direct flights to so many incredible places in Europe, and I’m not going to brush past that opportunity when I adore traveling so deeply.

When I was deciding where I wanted to travel, though, I found myself at a crossroads. On one hand, I could visit the countries many other study abroad students flocked to—most notably, Italy, Spain, and France. These countries and many of the destinations within them are tried-and-true weekend getaways for American students studying in Europe. In the summer, they’re often home to affordable hostels and AirBNBs, warm and sunny weather, and vibrant nightlife, which are all great things when you’re young and searching for somewhere interesting to visit. However, I found myself reluctant to book a weekend flight to these countries. I didn’t want to have the same study abroad experience as the typical college student; I wanted to make sure my travels abroad felt authentic to me and the kind of travel I wanted to do. I wanted to go somewhere else, somewhere slightly off the beaten path. Somewhere I could explore in a weekend and do it my way. This is what brought me to Bergen, Norway.

At first, Bergen sounded like the polar opposite of Barcelona or Rome. Temperatures in the western Norwegian city rarely peak above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the summer. It rains 200 days a year. With a population of less than 300,000 people, it’s nowhere near the size of the other major European cities that students typically gravitate towards—but these are exactly the qualities that drew me there. Something about Bergen was calling to me. It was a quieter city than its more popular alternatives, not as flashy or as well-known, but something in the mountains or the fjords grabbed ahold of my sense of wanderlust and refused to let go. It didn’t loosen its grip until I gave in and booked a three-day trip there over the first weekend of July.

The few days I spent in Norway were the most magical of my time in Europe so far. The entire weekend, I never saw the dark; the sun rose at four every morning and didn’t set until past eleven at night. The seemingly endless daylight was magic itself, even without everything else I did in Bergen that blew me away. I visited the aquarium to laugh at sea lions playing underwater. I ate foot-long hot dogs and cinnamon buns the size of my face. I climbed a mountain and marveled at how little Bergen looked from below—then rode a boat through the towering fjords and marveled at how little I felt. Everything I did seemed to fill me with a childlike wonder, a kind I thought I lost for good.

By the time my three days were up, I felt oddly changed. I felt fulfilled. I had done the scary thing—solo traveling to a new country, managing everything on my own—and like I wanted, I had done it my way. It proved to me that I didn’t have to do the same thing as everyone else in order to have fun. My Uber driver on the way to the Bergen Airport only further encouraged how I was feeling. He said that Bergen was still generally unheard of by American tourists, especially ones as young as I was, but he was glad that I had decided to visit and experience its beauty for myself. I had to agree. I’ve never been anywhere else with natural scenery as unique and awe-inspiring as Bergen, and I was proud of myself for going somewhere less popular.

My feelings began to evolve when I returned to Dublin, though. Of course, I was still in love with Bergen. My weekend there was something I think I’ll rave about for years to come. However, I started to realize something about the source of my happiness. I initially thought part of the reason I loved my trip so much was because I took the path less traveled, avoiding what I thought were the ‘cookie-cutter’ destinations every other college kid seemed to visit while abroad. Yes, I had gone somewhere different and exciting—but the true reason I enjoyed being there so much was because I traveled to the city that was best for me.

I didn’t only go to Bergen because it was less popular. Deep down, I went there because I knew I wouldn’t have enjoyed the more popular European weekend destinations. For one thing, I hate the heat. Even an hour in the current heat wave on the mainland would have made me melt, much less an entire weekend. I’m an active nightlife avoider, and I didn’t want to be somewhere where I might have felt pressured to stay out until dawn. Also, I’m growing more outdoorsy every year, and I wanted to travel somewhere where I could lean into that side of myself. That being said, it makes sense why I gravitated towards Bergen, whereas many other college students might have had different priorities, passing by Norway for cities more suited to their interests.

As I let this thought simmer, I realized how wrong I was to judge other study abroad students for their ‘cookie-cutter’ weekend trips. Just because I didn’t want to visit Barcelona or Rome doesn’t mean they aren’t brilliant cities brimming with centuries of history and culture. I can see why they’re so popular. I’d still love to visit them eventually, but they’re not my cup of tea at this stage of my life, and that’s okay. I have no right to chastise these destinations when for so many people, they hold exactly what they’re looking for.

That’s the magical part about studying abroad: it gives you access to visit or even live in the international cities you’ve dreamed about. If you’re like me, it could be Bergen. For someone else, it could be Rome. It could even be Cape Town or Seoul or Santiago. There isn’t one correct way to study abroad or travel during your program, not when there are hundreds of thousands of places to visit across the globe. It’s not a one-size fits all. Where you choose to go during your program could be somewhere everyone you know has visited, or somewhere nobody in your life has even heard of. As long as it speaks to you, that’s what matters.

And when a city does catch your attention, you have to have the courage to go there. It’s one thing to have a dream destination, but it’s another to actually turn the dream into a plane ticket and packed suitcase. I think that’s part of the reason why certain cities are so popular with study abroad students; it took a lot more bravery to go to Norway, where no one I knew had ever been, than it would have to go somewhere more well-known, where I could have gotten recommendations and advice from friends. Studying abroad can already be anxiety-inducing as it is. Living in a foreign country without your family and friends to lean on can be stressful, so I can see how the tried-and-true destinations with ample resources can feel more reliable. There’s no shame in going somewhere more popular if that’s where you’ll feel the safest and most comfortable.

It took a trip to Norway for me to learn that it doesn’t matter whether you take the path less traveled. All that matters is that you take a path. Studying abroad gives you access to a whole new world, but it’s only temporary. You don’t have forever to see Bergen, or Barcelona, or wherever your dream destination is. It doesn’t matter where you go. Just go somewhere. You don’t have to take the path less traveled to the most fulfilling experience—just pick a path and start walking.