After my weekend in Paris, I took a train with Jess and Bobbi to Maastricht, where they are studying this semester! We got in pretty late on Sunday night so we just unpacked and went to bed when we got there.
On Monday, we headed to the grocery store first thing in the morning to stock up on food for the week (pretty exciting stuff, I know!). After we cooked breakfast, Jess and I headed into town and she gave me a little tour of the city. Maastricht has two main squares surrounded by a ton of cute shops and restaurants. It was so cute and quaint and I could definitely tell why she loves it so much! We stopped into an old church that had been converted into a book store and coffee shop for a little snack before Jess had to head to class.
this bookstore/cafe was so unique!
a sunny day in the city, featuring my tour guide!
The university Jess and Bobbi go to operates on a quarter system so they were starting a whole new set of classes that week. I hung out in one of the school buildings and got some work done while they had their lectures. It just so happened that Villanova course registration for the Spring was going on while I was on my break so it was nice to have some down time to plan out my schedule (and I also edited my video from Paris!). When they got out of class, we headed back into town in pursuit of Halloween costumes! The university was hosting a Day of the Dead party that night so we got big flower crowns and masks for the occasion. And, after much deliberation, we decided on a rocker chick theme for our actual Halloween costumes, after being inspired by Rolling Stones tee shirts we found at H&M. Post-shopping we got delicious Belgian waffles at Pinky's, a waffle chain that you can find on almost every street in Maastricht (or so it seemed).
the food tour of Europe continues...
The next day was pretty much the same, but after class we watched It to get in the Halloween spirit. None of us particularly like scary movies so I'm not sure why we thought that was a great idea!! One of the university housing buildings set up a haunted house that night which was even more terrifying after seeing the movie just a few hours before. Wednesday was spent recovering from our Halloween festivities and exploring the other side of Maastricht, across the canal, where there are some nicer shops and restaurants. We got bagels at Jess' favorite bagel place followed by macarons for dessert.
unfortunately the stores on this side of the river were a bit out of our price range
After Jess and her friend Rachael got out of class on Thursday, we headed straight to the train station and hopped on a train to Amsterdam! Our Airbnb was a cute little family apartment located on the second floor of a building with some killer stairs - I swear they were almost vertical. We settled in and ordered burritos for dinner (I will literally take any chance for Mexican food I can get).
On Friday morning, Ashlee arrived and we headed to the city center for a breakfast of traditional Dutch pancakes. I had an epiphany moment during the meal when I realized that one of my favorite restaurants in London, My Old Dutch, served the same kind of crepe-like pancakes. Kind of makes sense when the word 'Dutch' is in the name but I never put two and two together. Afterwards, we walked around the canals for a while and popped into a few shops. That afternoon we went to the Museumplein, the park where all of the art museums - and the iconic I Amsterdam sign - are located. We had seen an ad for the Moco museum while we were walking around and decided to take a look. They had a super cool Banksy exhibit featuring some original work from the street artist and it was super cool!
I went for the banana nutella
the canals are so pretty!!!
I loved how different Banksy's artwork was from all the traditional art we saw in Paris
some words to live by
Amsterdam sign round one
Afterwards, we tried to go to a famous avocado restaurant that went viral on Facebook over the summer but the wait was way too long so we got dumplings instead - and Ashlee got to learn how to use chopsticks :) Next stop was the tulip market, a huge street full of tulip bulbs and flowers for sale. We thought there wouldn't be any flowers since it's not really tulip season, but surprisingly there were a few! And the entire ceiling was covered in hanging dried flowers which was beautiful - and they smelled amazing.
flowers as far as the eye could see
That evening Jess and I had booked tickets for the Anne Frank House. We were a little early for our time slot so we got to walk around the canals at night for a little bit which was so pretty. The actual tour consisted of an audio guide that read excerpts from Anne's diary and told the story of her life leading up to, during, and after her time living in the annex. We got to see the actual rooms her and her family lived in which was so surreal. The nazis took all the furniture when they raided the annex and the apartment is exactly how they left it. Anne and her sister's heights were marked on the wall and the actual magazine clippings they used to decorate the walls were still there. The mood throughout the whole exhibit was so somber. We talked for a while afterwards about how unbelievable it is that people were just going about their daily lives while this family lived for two years in hiding fearing for their lives. Definitely a heavy experience but I'm glad I got to experience that piece of history.
canals by night
Afterwards, Bobbi arrived from Maastricht and we met back up at the apartment for dinner. That night we took a walk through the Red Light District. It was a bizarre and slightly sad experience that left us feeling a little grimy. When in Amsterdam, I suppose!
The next morning we got a delicious brunch at The Corner Bakery before heading back to the Museumplein. We had planned on going to the Van Gogh museum, but unfortunately did not book tickets ahead of time. The wait was going to be two hours so we decided against it (but now I have a reason to go back!). We walked around the city some more before deciding to take a canal tour. It was really cool to see the city from water level and learn more about its history! That night we had a girls night in and got wine and a ton of snacks and talked about our week together. It was crazy to think that I had only met most of the girls I was with just a few days before. We're already planning a reunion in New York City this summer :)
a little fruit to balance out our all-pastry diet
Amsterdam sign round two - love this crew!!
Bright and early on Sunday morning, I said my sad goodbyes and headed to the airport to catch my flight back to Copenhagen. I couldn't have asked for a better week and I'm so happy I got to explore two new cities with my best friends. I couldn't be luckier.
Click here if you want to watch the video from my adventures in the Netherlands:
Breath of fresh air. These are quite literally the only words I have to describe my trip to Sweden over the weekend. Besides being a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of the city, I seriously cannot get over how fresh and clean and refreshing the Swedish countryside air was. I convinced a few of my friends to book this trip with me over the summer (it was 100% organized by our program) and ever since then we had been counting down the days! After two jam-packed days of adventure I can happily report that it did not disappoint. You can check out the video montage I made of the weekend here:
The trip started bright and early on Saturday morning when we boarded a bus to the ferry that would take us to Sweden. I was surprised at how quick the ferry ride was - it only took about 20 minutes! We drove off the ferry and the Swedish border control officers came onto the bus for about two seconds to 'check passports' (border control seems pretty lax here in Scandinavia) before letting us go on our way. We drove through the beautiful countryside and headed straight to a little dock for a 6 mile canoe trek down the Rönne. The rolling hills and farmland surrounding the river reminded me a lot of home and the weather was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and 60° with a little wind. My friend Jane and I were paired in a canoe together and only got turned completely around by the wind once. About halfway down the river the people from the canoe company were stationed on the river bank throwing ice cream treats into our boats! We took our time making it down to the next dock, chatting with everyone in the other canoes and enjoying our snack.
Mads and I on the ferry
Afterwards, we got back on the bus and headed to our hostel. This place was a big farmhouse that was so cute and quaint. Jane, Margaret, Emily and I got a cozy room with a view of the apple orchard and stable out back. We ate lunch and took a little nap before heading to Kullaberg National Park for a hike. The path there began as an easy walk past Himmelstorp, an eighteenth-century farmstead, but it quickly became a steep and rocky climb down to the coast. I'm so used to hiking up to a summit first so hiking downhill felt very backwards! We followed the trail all the way down to Nimis, a series of huge driftwood sculptures you can climb through and up. The sculptures are actually located in a micronation inside the park called Ladonia (the history behind the nation and sculptures is super interesting and you can read all about it here). It was super unique, and at times felt a little dangerous given how old and worn the driftwood looked, but it was definitely something I never would have known about if I hadn't gone on this trip. After the hike we headed back to the hostel for a barbecue dinner followed by a bonfire and s'mores. Everyone kept saying how they felt like the whole day was a throwback to summer camp and this was definitely the perfect way to end it. We all enjoyed a s'more (or three) before calling it a night.
view from the hostel
Himmelstorp, the old farmstead on our way to Nimis
the driftwood structures at Nimis
climbing the towers
relaxing on the rocks
The next morning started out with a traditional Scandinavian breakfast of assorted bread, cheeses, and jams. Then we each grabbed a bagged lunch and packed up the bus to head back to Kullaberg. This time the group was split into two and for the first half of the day I did an orienteering and hiking activity. We picked teams and had to go to different spots around the island to complete activities. Our first stop was to a rocky beach along the coast that was absolutely incredible. The water was so calm and the views were unreal so we accidentally spent about 45 minutes there when we only had two hours to complete the whole scavenger hunt. After that, we hiked through the woods, across a golf course, and up to a radio tower where we had to solve a few different puzzles. All around the tower were grazing sheep and cows. The scenery reminded me so much of Ireland! Next stop was down to a cave where we had to copy some knots. Then we climbed up to a lighthouse where we had to guess how far we were from other European destinations. The craziest part of the whole hike was how many different kinds of landscapes and terrains there were on one tiny island! After returning to home base we enjoyed our lunches and then geared up for the most anticipated event of the weekend: rappelling.
can you spot us?
view on our way down to the beach
some friendly sheep!
serious Ireland vibes
adventure gang
I remember seeing people rappelling when were in Maine two summers ago and thinking how fun it looked! Well, turns out it is equally fun and terrifying :) We started out easy with a 10 meter rappel down a flat rock surface just to get the hang of it. Then we climbed up a bigger mountainside for a 25 meter rappel on a more jagged cliff. When I got to the top of the bigger mountain it was SO windy and cold and it was starting to rain a little bit. There were five people in line before me to go down so the anticipation and weather conditions made it all the more difficult to convince myself that it was a good idea to go down. When it was finally my turn the guy helping us get clipped in assured me that a five year old had "just done this last week" so I had "nothing to worry about" (something tells me this is what they say to everyone who looks a tiny bit nervous to go straight down the side of a cliff with only a rope securing them). The big rappel was 1000 times scarier than the first one and it felt like I was descending for ten minutes when it probably only took two. I don't think I've ever been more relieved to have my feet on solid ground :)
ready to rappel
starting out easy
epitome of 'do something everyday that scares you'
After another full day of outdoor adventure, we headed to a cozy little cafe for what the Swedes call 'fika', the concept of gathering with those around you for coffee, cake, and good conversation. We warmed up with blankets and hot tea and enjoyed rhubarb pie with toasted almonds on top. It was truly the perfect way to end the weekend. After a quick bus trip and a final ferry ride we arrived back in Copenhagen on Sunday evening. Back to reality today with group project meetings and impending midterms, but I am so looking forward to my class trip to Berlin and Prague next week - and a lot more adventures to come!
Hi everyone! As the departure date for fall study abroad programs gets closer, I’ve been seeing a lot of questions in my program’s Facebook group, as well as getting a lot of questions from my friends, about the logistical side of a semester abroad. Now that everyone has been accepted to their schools overseas, registered for classes, and bought their plane tickets, a little bit of reality has begun to sink in. People are thinking about how they will get settled in a new country - one that doesn’t operate on US Dollars, AT&T, and maybe even the English language. So I decided to start this Study Abroad Survival Guide series to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about a semester abroad. If you're already an experienced international traveler, then a lot of this is going to be old news. But for those of you who have never been out of the country before, or haven’t spent an extended period of time abroad, this Survival Guide series is for you.
Disclaimer: There are LOTS of ways to go about planning the logistical side of a semester abroad. The following tips are what I personally used, prefer, and would recommend to my friends getting ready to go abroad.
When I studied abroad in London, I arrived into the UK with about 50 British Pounds and 100 Euros that my dad had leftover from previous travel. I did not exchange US dollars for foreign currency before I left and I did not bring any US dollars to exchange for local currency once I got there.
Bringing a ton of US dollars with you abroad is not the best idea for several reasons. Most currency exchange points overseas, especially ones in airports and around major tourist locations, charge higher exchange rates so they can make a higher commission off of your transfer. Also, you run the risk of losing all of your money if your purse/wallet/luggage gets lost or stolen.
Withdrawing foreign currency directly from an ATM abroad will get you the best exchange rate. Because of this, my parents got me a Travelex Cash Passport, basically a debit card that you load with US dollars online which get automatically converted to the currency of your choice. I used this card to withdraw cash from ATMs, or to pay for smaller transactions like snacks and drinks. The thing I liked best about the card was that it had no transaction fees at the ATM, unlike my US debit card. Travelex no longer sells this exact card, but they do offer something similar called the Travelex Money Card.
As for larger purchases, like plane tickets and groceries, I opened a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card under my parents account. This was the easiest way for me to get a credit card without having any credit history of my own. Every month my dad would send me an email with the balance I had accrued over the period (my favorite email to receive!) before taking the amount out of my bank account. I would highly recommend this card for its 24/7 live customer service line (you get connected to real people right away) and zero foreign transaction fees, two criteria you should look for when applying for a credit card to use while you’re abroad.
Last but not least, don't forget to call your bank and credit card company before you go to let them know when and where you will be travelling so they don't freeze your accounts!
My parents will tell you that ‘Julia’ and ‘budget’ don’t belong in the same sentence, and they might be a little bit right about that. BUT if you want to achieve all of your study abroad bucket list items, making (and sticking to) a budget for the semester is really important.
Before I left for London my dad and I sat down and created a budget in Excel. The sheet was broken down into categories like ‘Snacks’, ‘Groceries’, ‘Travel’, and ‘Entertainment’ and I made an estimate for how much I thought I would spend on each category for the whole semester. For example, I estimated that I would spend $60-70 on groceries each week for 16 weeks, totaling in a grocery budget of about $1000 for the semester. We made it so that I could input my actual expenses each week and the total estimated amount for the semester would decrease accordingly. This allowed me to keep track of how much I was spending and how much I theoretically had left to spend as the semester went on. Using my banking app, I was able to cross-check my budget with my bank account to see if I should adjust my spending habits at all.
Full disclosure, I kind of got a little bit lazy with the whole budget idea as the weeks went by which led to me spending more money at the end of the semester than I did at the beginning. This time around, my goal is to be smarter with my spending so I don't run into the same problem again. I think it’s important to give yourself a little leeway for unexpected expenses, but it’s also important to set a realistic guideline for what you can spend while you’re abroad. With a little planning ahead of time you’ll be able to have an amazing semester without coming home to $0 in your bank account.
There are so many conflicting opinions when it comes to the best way to get cell service abroad. Some people get a prepaid ‘burner’ phone, some like International data plan add-ons, and others prefer buying a SIM card to use with an unlocked device. This was probably the topic that stressed me out the most before I left and during the first few days after arriving in the UK. Ultimately, I decided to get the international monthly add-on for my regular AT&T plan, and purchased a (very) basic phone and a monthly cell phone plan once I got to London that I intended to renew at the end of each month. This lasted less than a month. I made it through the semester without any major issues, but in hindsight would not do it this way again.
CONS: The little brick phone I bought lasted for about 3 days before I gave up on it and was a total waste of money. Also, the AT&T international plan is pretty expensive and you don’t get a lot of data - I don’t think many international phone plan add-ons are meant for long term use.
PROS: I got to keep my US phone number.
This time around, I am enrolling in a foreign phone plan for the semester. My program provider partners with a Danish cell service provider called TDC, who will give me a new SIM card to put in my phone. This will give me access to their network while I’m in Denmark and traveling throughout Europe. To do this, I will need to ‘unlock’ my current device so I will be able to use a different service provider. This article explains the steps of how to unlock your device really well!
CONS: I will lose my US phone number for the time I’m abroad, because it will be replaced with a Danish phone number.
PROS: Less expensive than getting an add-on to my existing plan or purchasing a burner phone and separate phone plan. I'll also get more data than I would with the AT&T plan and it will be easier to communicate with others who have Danish or European phone numbers.
I hope this helped to answer some questions about planning for a semester abroad! There are a lot more topics I want to cover so keep an eye out for more posts like these coming soon. If you have any questions from this post or you have a topic you want me to cover next, be sure to leave a comment below!
