SHOUT OUT...

... to Christie O'Rourke, Carly Deline, Becky Gundy, and every other Spring Semester study abroad-er. First and foremost, I am gonna miss you guys like crazy next semester. I hope you have fun in your programs (that's ridiculous, I KNOW you will). You guys better keep in touch and I expect a post card or two from your travels. BUT, before you all go, I thought I would give a little heads up on what to expect, what to do, and what NOT to do.

- If you can't live without peanut butter, go to CostCo and buy some industrial-sized jars. This may sound ridiculous, but, trust me, it will be worth it

- Don't waste all your money on alcohol. You can still go out and have an awesome time. Plus, you can get drunk in the States.

- When you do drink, don't get completely, black-out drunk. You still need to make it home and you are in a foreign country.

- Use Skype. It's amazing. Make your parents get an account and you can talk for free. Saves a ton of money.

- Walk, walk, walk. If your in a new city, don't waste money on public transport if you don't have to. Also, there have been plenty of times where we stumble across something that we wouldn't have seen on a Metro or bus.

- If you have a huge, globally-recognized trip you are planning (like Oktoberfest) book it NOW! Stuff runs out quickly, so if you want to have St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, get on your shit!

- With that said, try to plan your trips in advance, but you don't want to book too much stuff, so that you limit who you travel with. It's very easy to book a flight/hostel the week of, even the day before.

- Get in good with your host family from the beginning (maybe even take an ice-breaker gift). Especially for Carly and Becky, they can help you with the language and you will be able to learn it a lot quicker if you get a lot of practice at home. Also, they will be much more willing to help you with stuff around the city--don't be afraid to ask!

- If your traveling for the weekend, DON"T check a bag! I hope this can go without saying, but it wastes time when you get there, you get screwed on charges and there's no sense in risking losing it.

- When you travel, ALWAYS bring at least one article of warm clothing. We went to the beach in the Canary Islands, and I was freezing on the top of Mt. Teide. So, you never know when you need something warm.

- PROTECT YOUR STUFF! Always be aware of people around you and make sure you have your stuff at all times. I have heard countless stories of people being pick-pocketed (Knock on wood), so just don't be stupid.

- Take advantage of supermarkets. Buying food anywhere else is going to be way more expensive (even your school's cafeteria, if you have one). Buy food for the week, pack lunches and don't waste money on expensive meals. That said, have at least one cultural meal while traveling. You may never have the opportunity again for some authentic Italian pasta, or real French crepes.

- Don't let class keep you from traveling. You will find a way to make up the work. If not, then your teacher sucks, anyways.

- Check airline sites (Kayak.com is awesome, Ryanair too) for cheap rates all the time to anywhere. Tori and I got round trip tickets to Belgium for €25 and it turned out to be one of the best trips.

- Be willing to try new things (obviously, right). But my roommate didn't leave the room or try new food for the whole semester and he had the crappiest time. The culture IS going to be different. But different isn't bad.

- Pack travel-sized, soap, shampoo, etc. bottles so that you can take them with you for weekend traveling. Hostels don't provide this stuff. They do provide linen, though, so leave that at home.

- You ARE going to spend a lot of money. Just realize that now.

- DON'T buy the ISIC card, unless you look up the discounts to use beforehand. Tori and I bought it and it didn't get us enough discounts to pay for itself. Your passport with Student Visa usually does the trick, anyway.

- ALWAYS ask for student discounts. They can save you a lot. For example, Tori and I paid full price at the Vatican (€14) and learned from Ben the student rate was €6.

- Make copies of your important documents (credit/debit cards, passport, visa, etc.), front and back. Just in case you are pick-pocketed, you will have proof its your stuff. Also, it's better to carry a copy of your passport on you, rather than your actual passport.

- Take a lot of pictures. You may not want to be "that person", but get over it. The pictures will be what you look back on the rest of your lives.

- Finally, NEVER forget the experience you are having. If you're having a bad day, realize you are in Europe, traveling the world. NOTHING can get cooler than that.

I hope you guys have an incredible time and that you take advantage of every day. Trust me, it goes way too fast!