Pack Light?

One thing that is difficult for me is packing light. Sometimes I feel as though I have to pack my entire house because "you never know" what you might need out there. Sometimes I'll pack about 5 pairs of shoes and only end up wearing about 2 pairs. So now that I'll be spending about 4 months away from the comforts of home, narrowing down my choices is a must. When it comes down to whether I'll bring my black hoodie for chilly nights or my stuffed Spongebob pillow, I think we know what the obvious choice here is (Spongebob, duh!). Buttttt, on a serious note, I've received my list of items they recommend packing, and I'll give you guys a little preview:

-Slippers are the 1st on the list because Spaniards apparently look down upon bare feet or just wearing socks around the house (I guess you learn something new everyday)

-Pajamas

-Diary

-Camera

Basically the usual stuff, but one thing on the list that got to me just a little bit was the suggestion to only bring two pairs of jeans! It's gonna take some work to narrow down my choices!

I think this is gonna be more difficult than I think...Wish me luck!

Finally!

So, after much research and time, I've finally purchased my plane ticket to Spain! It is never easy for me to make a commitment to purchasing something such as a flight because I always feel as though a better deal is on the way or there may be some complications waiting in the midst, but luckily this went fairly smoothly. I purchased it from a site dedicated to providing students and faculty with cheaper than usual plane tickets and hotels. This is just one more thing that can be scratched off of my list. Here are some tips for searching for the best flight possible: 

1. Do your research as early as possible. This way you'll be able to have an idea of how much traveling to your destination costs and what the best deals out there are.
2. Search multiple booking sights, especially ones designed just for student travelers. These sights try to provide the best prices out there.
3. Don't just buy the first ticket you see (unless that's what you desire). Sometimes the first flight that you see may be the best, but you never know what else there is waiting for you out there.
4. Purchase the trip protection, if there is the option. This way if your baggage gets lost or you can't make your flight for some reason, you have a backup plan available.
5. Check, check, and re-check to make sure all of the information, including dates, times, and airport codes are correct. Nothing would suck more than to book a flight for Rome, Italy and end up in Rome, NY instead all because of an error in airport codes (Ok, that wouldn't be possible, but you get my point!).
6. And my final piece of advice is be safe! Even though the guy or gal sitting next to you may be über good-looking, don't give them things such as your destination location or cell phone number, you never know who they may be

Getting My Visa

So, a few weeks ago I had my appointment at the Spanish Consulate in NYC to go and get my visa. I made this appointment online weeks ahead of time, because if I am not mistaken, they do not take walk-ins, so that is definitely step one.

I had never done anything like this before, and I didn't know what to expect, but I made sure to come prepared with all of the right paperwork. For those who are not too sure, some of the things that I needed were:

• 2 copies of the visa application: One for you to keep and one for the consulate to process

• My passport

• Two passport sized photos

• Letter of acceptance to the study abroad program.

• A money order to pay for the visa

I was not sure if I would need to dress a certain when, but was told that casual dress was totally acceptable (to my relief). When I got there, I walked through a metal detector and had my bag scanned, so security is pretty tough there. My appointment was for 12:15 and I got there almost any hour early, hoping that the earlier I got there, the earlier I could leave, which turned out not to be the case, but I still waited patiently with the hopes that this would still be a possibility.

After waiting for a little over an hour, my name was finally called. I brought up my paperwork, submitted my money order, signed the dotted line, and was told to come back in mid-July to get my visa. What I didn't know is that they kept your passport until you came to get the visa, which slightly shocked me, but be prepared for that to happen to you as well. Other than that, it was smooth sailing and another thing off my checklist has been accomplished.

~J

The Journey Begins!

The Journey Begins!

Hey guys,
It’s a pretty dreary day in June and I thought that it would be the perfect time to begin chronicling my time leading up to my departure to Salamanca, Spain!
It’s been a long process, with making sure that all of the correct paperwork was submitted and all the deadlines were met, but so far so good.
So, because I would like to provide as much help as possible to those who are in, or who will be in, or just thinking about being in, a similar situation as myself, I just wanted to leave you guys with a few tips that might help:

• For starters, do lots of research on where you would like to go.

• Once you have chosen the location, think about when you would like to go and what works best with your schedule.

• After you have finally chosen the location and time, start the paperwork:
• (Recommendations, passport, visa (depending on location and length of stay), so make sure to apply for those a few months ahead of schedule. And of course you’ll need to get a plane ticket. So far, I’ve been looking at websites such as www.aa.com and www.studentuniverse.com, with the latter providing the much better costs).

• Think about how you will pay for it. Sometimes financial aid will cover a big chunk of the cost, but taking out a loan, finding scholarships, and jobs can be lifesavers. So just go with what works best!

• My final piece of advice for now is, don’t hesitate! If you have always wanted to go abroad, but have been too afraid to do so, just try to let your inhibitions go. Everyone that I have spoken to who has studied abroad has never regretted it, I have only heard regret from those who didn’t.

Hope this helps!