To no one’s surprise, I overpacked (in all the wrong ways). Here are some things I wish I brought abroad, and some items that I regret packing.

First and foremost, I wish I brought a blanket from home. I convinced myself that I could go the whole semester without an extra blanket for my bed. I didn’t even last one night of sleep without one—seriously, I went shopping the first day I got to Nice and picked out the fluffiest blanket I could find. I wish that I brought one, so that I didn’t have to purchase one when I got here!

As the foggy coastline of Rabat receded into the distance, the sloping green mountains of Ifrane, the coldest region in Morocco, came into view. As we drove further inward, the white-washed, mediterranean landscape replaced by cedar forests, I couldn’t help but to be reminded of the lush mountains that surround my college in the Northeast. Before our stop at Ben Smim, a small, nearby village where we stayed the night with a host family, we ventured into a clearing in the forest, where we prepared a homemade lunch around a campfire.

Since I’ve been in Dublin, I haven't traveled outside of the country much because it can be very expensive. This past weekend, however, I was able to meet up with some of my friends in Amsterdam, and I did so by spending very little money! So, I thought I’d share some of my tips for traveling on a tight budget. Obviously, flights and housing are going to be the things that you have to spend money on, but you truly don't have to spend very much money on food in the country itself if you’re intentional with your spending.

This weekend was a myriad of fun and one of my favorite trips I have been on while studying abroad. While our initial plan was to spend three days in Vienna, Austria, our trip later evolved into what I like to call, the perfect amount of spontaneity. Our initial destination remained Vienna however we added a day trip to Hallstatt and a layover on our way home on Sunday. Where was this layover you may ask? Well Mallorca of course! We had the option for a one hour layover or a six hour layover which was five euros extra.