Being a journalism student studying abroad on the Writers Program, my class material overlaps uniquely with my major, especially Immersion Writing. This class affords me the opportunity to remember my Irish experiences more closely because it pushes me to engage more fully and take everything in so that I may let my writing tell my story here and share that story with others. If you are a prospective student thinking about enrolling in the Writers Program, please enjoy an example of a travel log I wrote for class.

As I get ready to pack up my life in Dublin and head home to the United States, I’ve run into the common problem of stuffing what I brought here in with what I bought so everything fits in the same luggage I used to get to Ireland.

In my perusing, I’m struck by how many things I use every day that I had to purchase upon arrival, and how many things I brought from home that I have never once used.

You’re studying abroad in Dublin and as the months pass by, your family and friends from back home want to come visit you. What do you do? Where do you take them?

The Balearic island of Mallorca is home to a vintage wooden train, which travels 17 miles (27.36 km) back and forth multiple times a day in order to transport visitors from the capital city, Palma, to Sóller, an authentic old town located in the valley of the Tramuntana Mountains. Sóller is known for its production of incredible citrus fruit, mainly oranges and lemons. In fact, the wooden train was built in 1912 in order to transport fruit from the small town to the capital city. It's considered one of Spain's most beautiful, quaint villages.

Traveling all over Europe this semester has been a blast, but some of my favorite memories have come from my adventures within Ireland. Don’t miss out on the opportunities you have to explore your host country! I guarantee you won’t regret it. 

I don’t know about you, but up until now, I’ve been a hotel and/or AirBnB type of gal. Even though I’ve traveled quite a bit this past year, I’ve managed to avoid hostels completely. The stories I heard just scared me too much: bed bugs, filthy bathrooms, stolen belongings, bunk beds stacked with creepy strangers...I know, sounds unpleasant, right? Even though hostels are much cheaper, I figured it was worth paying a little extra to have comfortable lodging and be able to fully enjoy my trip.

Has this ever happened to you? I was in Kreuzberg at a bar with some friends, and a guy spilled his wine on my favorite pair of pants. They’re pants I took from my dad’s old wardrobe from the 90s, and I love how loose they sit on my waist and legs. There’s definitely a bit of a stain on the side now, but like paintings, some guy spilling his wine is just part of the process. Painting is one of those things where you gotta let go of your ego for a second and trust that eventually things will work out.

This month, I have my parents and a couple of friends visiting me for some long weekends. While they’re only here for a few days at a time, I want to make sure that I give them the best feel for Dublin as I can. So, here’s how to do Dublin in three days:

Day 1

Now that we’re almost done with the semester, most of us study abroad students have started to face the reality of our final papers and assignments. At least for the IES Abroad Study London program, school is structured much differently than what it’s like at Penn State and other universities back in the United States. During a normal semester I’m used to constantly producing work, but usually on a smaller scale.

Studying abroad can be a huge financial undertaking, and European cities aren't always cheap. I definitely found myself worrying after realizing how much money I spent in just my first few weeks in France. So, when I started traveling to other cities and countries, I made a serious effort to be cost-conscious. After many trials-and-errors, here are my best tips for traveling on a budget!

1. Utilize Google Flights with their map feature