To get to Isla Española from San Cristóbal, you must first endure 2 hours of agony.

Two weeks into my studies in Berlin, I feel it is as good a time as any to set my intentions for the semester to come. The Deutsche Hauptstadt feels like an acquaintance with the potential to become a lover in due time. There is a palpable energy coursing through the streets, yet a mellowed day-to-day that I adore. Not that people take their time, but rather no one is in a rush. I feel as if I can cherish the moments as they pass in a way the American hustle-bustle ignores. Perhaps this feeling comes from the novelty of new people and experiences.

One of my biggest fears while embarking on my journey abroad was the language barrier that I would be facing. Although I had taken Spanish before in high school, I was not confident whatsoever in my Spanish speaking skills or even comprehension. I had taken about three years of Spanish but nevertheless was placed in Spanish One after taking the placement test and failing it misreably.

My IES Abroad program is so wonderful because we get to go on multiple excursions as an entire group! These trips allow for new connections and the opportunity to visit places in France we may not have seen otherwise. These trips are through IES Abroad, so we speak en français the entire time ... to the best of our ability.

This past weekend, I most definitely overused the trains. Since my apartment is a little far from the IES Abroad center, I have to take public transit to school everyday. Because of this, most people living in my apartment got unlimited monthly train passes. These passes have, thankfully, given me the freedom to go wherever I please when it comes to Rome. 

On the island, there is no such thing as dawn. Each morning on the equator, the sun shoots to the center of the sky like a gun. It is night, and then it is noon. I wake up with the sun dragging its fingers into my eyes. I haven’t used an alarm since I got here. I haven’t needed to. I couldn’t sleep through it if I tried.

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Studying abroad can feel a lot like starting college all over again—you’re in a brand-new place with all new people and, for me at least, you’re the farthest away from home you’ve ever been. Now, for some people that’s a thrilling experience, but if you’re a little more introverted (like me), it’s hard feeling like you’re back at day one. It can be hard to make connections when studying abroad, especially since you know that when the four months are over, you’ll go your separate ways.

Each year, American students study abroad and travel to Europe during their semester-long stay across the ocean. Many people seem like they’re heading to a new country or city every weekend, and on paper, it looks incredible. From the outside, it can feel like something to be envious of. You see their carefully crafted Instagram posts and hear stories about their “life-changing” trips, which can often leave you wondering how they fit it all in so perfectly.

It’s now been about a month since I’ve arrived in Milan. So far I’ve traveled to Rome, Venice, Florence and have Barcelona underway for this weekend. All beautiful places and amazing trips…but all learning experiences. Although I still have a lot to learn and haven’t quite mastered the weekend traveling skill, I have picked up a thing or two that I wish someone told me before I began planning for my trips. So here’s a little 411 that might be able to save you the stress and worry—and most importantly money. 

For me, the greatest burden and barrier to studying abroad was financial. Paying tuition, navigating scholarships, applying to loans—it’s a lot to manage. Once you get through all the hurdles, you might be left wondering how much you need to have saved to survive abroad.