How to Remain Present while Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is all at once one of the most overwhelming, exciting, confusing, emotional, and difficult things you can do as a college student. Moving miles away from everything and everyone you know to spend four plus months in a new country (especially one that doesn’t speak your native language) is a huge deal. For some people this is their first time out of their home country. While abroad, there are so many things to do and experience, and the time passes by so fast sometimes I find myself wondering how its already April when it feels like I got here yesterday. Because of this, I wanted to give some tips on how to stay present while studying abroad and traveling. 

• First: journal, journal, journal. Whether you prefer a written journal, photo journal, or video diary, find a way to document and keep track of your time here. If it’s a photo journal, make sure to take photos that aren’t just meant to be posted on Instagram. Take MANY funny pictures of your friends, take pictures of things that make you smile, a video of musicians playing on the street, a bouquet of flowers, anything. Everything. 
• Next, walk slowly (when appropriate, of course). When I got here, I realized the hustle culture of the U.S. had really embedded itself in me. I found myself rushing to everywhere I had to be. Now, sometimes I was genuinely late and did need to rush, but most times, I was walking fast because it was what I was accustomed to. Now, I actively try to slow myself down when I find myself rushing when I don’t need to, especially when I’m in new cities. Walking slowly allows you to enjoy this beautiful city you will get to call home for however long. 
• Third, find time to just sit in silence (bonus points for doing it outdoors). Sitting outside in Salamanca alone, without headphones, has really been a grounding activity for me. When living in a city for a couple months, you get used to it—how it looks, what is sounds like, what the people are like—and you forget that this life really is temporary. I never want to take for granted the fact that I am in an entirely new country, so I like to find a quiet spot near the river or by the cathedral and sit, think, and admire the beautiful city that I have called home for the past three months. 
• Finally, go on walks! Similar to sitting in silence, going on walks also grounds me, and allows me to further explore the city. Especially regarding Salamanca, a lot of my time is spent in class or in other cities for the weekend, so it’s important to me to try to find time to appreciate the city I chose for study abroad. Walks where my only goal is to wander help me to do this. I highly recommend just meandering around the city whenever you want to remind yourself of the craziness of being able to study abroad in Europe.