So I’m finally writing this after being back in my Kentucky home for almost a month. Why did I wait so long? Well how am I supposed to describe the most incredible experience of my life in a short blog? I don’t know either but here’s my best shot at it and I decided the best approach to take was studying abroad as a female, one who always travels alone.

If you knew me before I went to Europe, you would know that I often travel independently all across the nation with my marketing job but it’s not quite the same when you’re gallivanting around Europe and even Africa. So here’s a few tips and stories of my experience as a woman who is too stubborn to travel with anyone else.

1. DO NOT EVER let anyone tell you to not travel alone because you’re a woman; you just have to take a few more extra precautions to stay safe.
2. Check out the area of the hostel/Airbnb before you pay to stay there. Even though it’s closer to more attractions, it does not always mean it’s a safe neighborhood. I made that mistake when I traveled to Athens. According to my taxi driver, I was in an area overran with “prostitutes and drug addicts”; he even warned me to not walk alone at night because men would stab me with heroin and then steal all my stuff. Yeah, talk about a warm welcome to Greece. So learn from my experience because even though I didn’t die, I was terrified every time I left my apartment and would run from wherever I was so that I could get back before nightfall.
3. Get used to guys catcalling you (in multiple different ways). You may think it’s bad in the US but it’s absolutely annoying overseas. Just ignore them and keep walking. They might be bothersome, but they’re harmless.
4. No matter where you are, try to be back to wherever you’re staying before it gets dark. I don’t know why, but I swear all the real creeps hide during the day. If you do stay out late, just try your best to stay on well-lit streets, even if that dark alley way will cut 15 minutes off of your travel time. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. When you’re walking around, act like you know what you’re doing even if you’re completely lost. I promise they will smell your fear and confusion. But as I say that, know it’s always okay to ask for help. For me though, I always ask someone who I feel like can’t easily overpower me (but I’m probably just paranoid).
6. Watch for pickpocketers– they’re smarter than you think. For most of them, this is their only job and they are very good at it. Keep your eyes peeled 24/7, especially since you’ll most likely be carrying a purse. Children are a concern too, and I speak from experience. While I was in Rome, I caught a 9-year-old girl with her hand down my purse and I even had my hand on the front of my purse. They’re incredibly sneaky. Also watch for planned schemes because they have tons of them. They’ll have kids or a “family” asking for directions and while you’re distracted another person will be pick pocketing you. Also watch for fights in large areas. They’re usually staged to get you focused on something else. Be super careful!! Because you may think that’ll never happen to you but it could; I even got mugged in Venice (which by the way is not even worth the trip, I hated that city, it was disgusting).
7. Please oh please do not dress like an American tourist. Try to blend in because if not, then you are a bullseye for anyone who wants to rob you.
8. IF you do go to Africa be EXTRA careful. I went to Morocco and the culture is very different. You are not seen as a human, you are seen as an item and you are especially vulnerable if you do not have a man with you. Do not show any part of your skin. Everywhere you go, keep your head down and do not make eye contact with any male. Do not smile at them, they take that as an invitation to come and talk to you. I even wore a hijab to try and fit in to keep attention off of me. I always came to my hostel at dark, always. If you want to be extra careful, wear a ring to make it seem like you’re married. The men there are very abrasive, so just be careful. I was proposed to five times and I even had a guy ask me how many camels it would take for him to marry me. Just be polite and walk away. Also, always bargain– the price they give you is way above what they’ll take, even bargain with the taxi drivers.
9. Do not let a man buy you a drink. Yes it may be a custom in the US, but overseas if a man buys you a drink, they expect something in return. To just avoid all confusion, buy your own drinks.
10. Just relax and enjoy the experience you’re creating. I loved traveling alone and overall I felt pretty safe. Don’t fret; statistically speaking you’re more likely to get assaulted in the US than you are in Europe. Just be smart.

Honestly, I could go on and on about my experience abroad but I’ll keep it short. Just don’t take even a second for granted. Barcelona has my heart and I definitely plan on returning. Hopefully you’ll find a city that you love just as much. Just remember safety so that you make it back in one piece and to not be afraid to go on adventures because that’s what you’re going to cherish in the long run.

When you come to the Netherlands during the Spring there are two must do activities everyone must do.

1) Kings Day. This is a national holiday on April 27 to celebrate the kings birthday. Everyone is out at festivals wearing orange and celebrating Dutch culture. This something you don’t want to miss.

2) Keukenhof. When people think of the Netherlands most people think of tulip fields. Well Keukenhof is the ultimate spring garden experience. You can spend all day here and never want to leave. I suggest to bring a picnic and find a nice sunny spot and enjoy the flowers and nature around you. It truly is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have seen. If you are in the Netherlands or anywhere in Europe for that matter, make sure to visit. You will not regret it.

I have been in the Netherlands for about a month an a half now. I decided my first post should be information I wish I knew about the Netherlands before I came, but didn’t.

1) OV-Chipkaart: When you arrive in the Amsterdam airport, the first thing you should do is go to the information counter (on your left once you leave customs) and purchase the OV-Chipkaart. It costs 7.50 euros, but makes public transportation half the price it normally would be. Load 50 euros onto it is my recommendation. On Busses and trams you scan your card on sensors inside the doors when you get in and when you leave. Trains require you to scan your card at yellow poles before and after you go to the trains. You need at least 20 euros on the card to use the trains.

2) Ulmon City Maps: This is an app that allows you to download the map of almost any city and star places of interest or importance. The best part is it tracks where you are even offline.

3) Size of the Netherlands: The Netherlands is about 1/3 of the size of Kentucky. Take advantage of this. Make some friends and take day trips to different cities. So far I have been to Delft, Haarlam, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Den Haag (Obviously).

4) Places to go out: Miller’s, Havana, Fiddler’s, and Grotemarkt are all nice bars/clubs.

5) Classes: Most classes only meet once a week. They can also change rooms every week and sometimes the time of the class. Check the schedule every morning. Most classes only have a final exam.

6) Groceries: There is two main grocery stores. Jumbo (megastore on the school side of Station HS) is the most reasonable and has the best selection personally. Albert Heijns (is across from Station HS) and while it is more expensive, it is convenient if you live in the Student Hotel. No matter what store you go to, you have to buy a reusable bag.

7) Bike: While you can get by without a bike, it is easier to get one. You have to have white lights on the front and red lights on the back as well as a bell. You can rent a bicycle from a company called Be-Cycle-It or buy your own.

8) Router: Most places will provide internet, but if you want wifi (and you will) you need to purchase a router. You can get one from the Megastore or city center.

9) PayPal: In order to load money on your washing card or school card, you will need an account. Credit cards won’t work for these.

10) Money: I should have put this first, but bring at least 500 euros over with you. Also if you can pay with a credit card at meals (one with a 0% conversion fee) and have the rest of the table pay you with cash. It will save you ATM fees.

21 years I’ve been alive. And for 21 years I have lived in the great city of Louisville. I have been to the odd state here and there, and even the Bahamas once, but never have I ventured for more than 10 days away from my home. I have only seen the light from a very small fraction of our amazing planet. To me, the rest of the world was dark. But now it is time to see more of the light. It is time to study abroad.

I landed in my new home for the next 5 months, Edinburgh, in early January. And after being here a month, I am already in love. Since “study” comes first in “study abroad,” I’ll touch on my the academics real quick (skip to the next paragraph if you want a more interesting read). The University of Edinburgh is one of four ancient  universities in Scotland, which to me sounds pretty bad ass. I will definitely be telling people I attended an ancient uni (such a simple slang word to adopt and use) when I come back home. Anyway, the way the classes are set up here are a bit different than back home. The semester is 10 class weeks long, with a few study weeks and spring break thrown in there. Typically a class meets 2 times a week in a lecture format. But then you have a smaller class size once a week called a tutorial. I enjoy this style because tutorials are where the fascinating discussion happens. Lastly, the grading here is a bit different with a 70 being a pretty good grade and a 40 being a pass grade. Having said that, the grading is pretty tough so you must bring your A game.

Now to the more fun stuff. Edinburgh is a city with many universities and as such is a city that is very college kid friendly. Almost everywhere you go you can find a student discount and the people are very friendly to the student population. It is also riddled with pubs and clubs that suit any mood you are in or music you want to listen to. The city also has ethnic food from all over the world on any street. I like to say that almost every street in Edinburgh is it’s own Bardstown Rd, having a multitude of shops and restaurants to fulfill any need. All of this is packed into a city which isn’t really that big, which means you can walk pretty much anywhere worth going within 30 to 40 minutes. And sometimes you’ll wish the walk was longer with the amount of beauty the city has to offer (on a non rainy day of course). A port on one side, castle in the middle, and fantastic architecture between, a walk in Edinburgh is always pleasing to the eyes. All in all I love this city and the it’s culture.

But it would not be complete without the amazing people I have met along the way. These are the people I enjoy this amazing city with. And maybe the most important aspect of study abroad is the people you meet and getting to know their story. So I’d like to give a highlight to some of them and let you know just a little bit about them.

Flatmates (all from England)

Sofia – an absolutely fantastic chef and mastermind behind a great wine and cheese night.

Robyn – Always has a bright smile and a “how was your day today?”

Sophie – Perfect companion to grab and beer and share a laugh.

Others

Rishabh – Travel companion, financial adviser, fellow American. Pretty much do everything with him.

Belinda – Met through Rishabh, fellow traveler, laid back fun person.

Ward – Hands down one of the coolest people I have ever met. From the Netherlands, he may deserve his own blog post later.

I have met many others, especially during Business Society events such as Pub Golf (which I won… well tied for first), and in my classes and project groups. Bottom line, the people here are great, and we are having an amazing time while together.

This has just been the Edinburgh first chapter, there is much more to come, such as, kilt wearing and haggis/whiskey tasting. Just wanted to give a brief introduction to my new life for this semester. Currently, I am traveling in Spain with Rishabh and will make my next post about finding all the light here. Until next time.

Zach

Hey guys,
I hope everyone’s semester has been everything they expected and more! This semester has been full of adventures and many learning experiences. Arriving to Spain was quite possibly the scariest thing I’ve ever been through because it was my first time traveling alone and my first time in Europe. When I arrived in Getafe, which is where Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is located, I was very surprised to see that it wasn’t a big buzzing area. Getafe is a smaller suburb outside of the center of Madrid and it is where I lived during my stay in Madrid. After spending four months in Spain and traveling around Europe, I’ve learned a few things. I will list them in categories.
Madrid, Spain
Living arrangements
The first thing I would recommend is about living arrangements is that you look at your budget. Living on campus dorms can be a great way to meet people easily, but it is also very expensive. You can find a decent place to rent in Getafe for about 230 euros. Living in Getafe is great if you want to be near the University, but if you want to be in the city and go out, I suggest you look into living in Sol. Going to the city from Getafe takes about 20 minutes on the train and the last train to Sol and back to Getafe runs at 11:50 PM, so if you think you want to stay closer to all the buzzling center it might be better to live there, but it is expensive and rent can be up to 500 euros a month.
Places to eat
1. El Eskinazo It is a very cheap and good place to eat near the University. You get a free tapa with any beverage purchase.
2. 100 Montaditos A great place for tapas. Every Wednesday and Sunday they have euro tapas.
3. La Bicicleta A wonderful café in Malasana that serves a great breakfast. If you’re looking for a place to study besides the library this is a great place to do so.
4. La Malquerida If you like Mexican food, this place has great tacos and on Wednesdays they have tacos for a euro. Be sure to make a reservation because on Wednesdays they only do seatings if you have a reservation.
5. Lavapies If you’re looking for Indian food, this area of Madrid is lined with them and they are also very cheap.

Things you must do
1. Attend a soccer game or do a stadium tour. It is an amazing experience and you really get to feel the love for the sport. You can attend a Real Madrid game or an Atletico Madrid game. Tickets can be as low as 15 euros. The picture below was taken at the Real Madrid vs Shakthtar match.

2. Go to El Rastro. El Rastro is a market that happen every Sunday in La Latina. It is a great experience and a great place to get cheap artisan items.

3. Try hiking outside Madrid. I wish I would’ve hiked in more places outside Madrid, but it’s a great experience to see outside the city. I hiked in Cercedillas, but Navacerrada is also a good hiking spot.

4. Attend an event in Madrid. I attended the Holi Run, which is much like the color run and it was a great event. I suggest you try to keep an eye out for any events that may interest you.

Traveling tips
1. Book your tickets as early as possible. If you can, plan your travels early because tickets can get pretty expensive. I’ve found tickets starting at 15 euros, but I’ve also payed 200 euros for a plane ticket.
2. Try different methods of transportation. While the most common ways to travel are by plane or train, I discovered BlaBla car is a great and cheap way to travel. BlaBla car is a safer version of hitchhiking. A person may be traveling to a different city and has extra seats in their car so they put it up on a website and you can reserve the seat. I used it travel within Spain and I also used it to travel to Portugal. It is safe but I wouldn’t recommend you go alone
3. Don’t be afraid to travel alone. I took my first trip alone to Paris and it was amazing. I didn’t I was going to have fun because I was alone, but I was surprised to learn that many people travel alone and you can easily make friends anywhere you go. I also loved that it was empowering.