Below are a collection of study abroad experiences from all across Europe. I wanted to use this opportunity to showcase the diversity of people's perceptions in countries outside of their own and demonstrate the amount of change it can bring.
Budapest, Hungary
Haley Goetz University of New Hampshire Budapest Humanities Program Spring 2018
If you want to blend in, definitely DO NOT…
Talk super loudly on the trams or metro. People usually keep to themselves and tend to either talk super quietly or listen to music with headphones in.
A place my friends and I always went out to was…
Szimpla Kert (a ruin bar) or Instant (a multi-floor nightclub).
They constantly play _____________ on the radio/ in the club
Old-ish techno in the clubs (never really heard any "pop" songs whilst in Budapest).
A phrase I used all the time was ____________ which means _______________
“Egészségedre!” which means “Cheers!” in Hungarian.
Something everyone wears is…
Simple clothing, nothing too outlandish.
I wish I had packed…Running clothes.
A popular/ specialty drink/food there is…/ Everyone eats...
A popular food is goulash (the Hungarians invented paprika, after all), a popular drink is pálinka (a VERY strong fruity brandy)...and anything with good seasoning (Hungarians love their seasoning).
One weird food I tried was…
A Greek gyro that had French fries in it (was quite amazing).
If I could do one thing differently it would be...
To have seen more of the Hungarian countryside.
My most treasured memory is…
Going to Italy by myself for a week.
Kasteel Well, The Netherlands
Natalie DiCianna Emerson College Spring 2016
If you want to blend in, definitely DO NOT…
Be obnoxiously American, which I know sounds vague. Most people won’t care you’re American after talking to you, but if you’re with a large group of people who are all talking loudly it kinda makes you stand out. I’d recommend traveling with small groups of close friends.
A place my friends and I always went out to was…
The local pub, Onder de Linden in a small village called Well. Our campus was in a small Dutch village that was used for the American students coming, so every Wednesday night they would hold “American Night” were we could pick a theme for the bar. It was also a fun, small place to grab a few drinks any other day of the week.
They constantly play _____________ on the radio/ in the club
Honestly I remember mostly hearing American music, but if I didn’t recognize something there was a lot of techno music on in clubs. One of my favorite memories was taking a taxi with a bunch of Dutch people and B*tch Better Have My Money by Rihanna came on so they were encouraging me to sing along because I was American.
A phrase I used all the time was ____________ which means _______________
Not something I used as much, but heard all the time in the Netherlands was “Gezellig.” It’s just something locals would say as a way of saying something was cool, or nice and cozy. It doesn’t have an actual English translation!
Something everyone wears is…
Leather jackets and scarves. Maybe it was just because I was there in the fall, but those were definitely fashion staples.
I wish I had packed…
Some of my favorite American snack foods. The village I was in didn’t have a grocery store (we would take a bus to the next town over for snacks) and there were some brands I found I were missing when I got the munchies while studying. It sounds silly, but sometimes its nice to have things that remind you of home.
A popular/ specialty drink/food there is…/ Everyone eats...
Fries with mayo were EVERYWHERE. They also had so many other sauces, like peanut sauces. The fries on their own were amazing though if you weren’t a fan of the sauce.
One weird food I tried was…
I tried beef tartar when I went on weekend trip to Paris, I actually loved it.
If I could do one thing differently it would be…
I wish I had practiced the language more before going. Dutch is pretty hard to listen to, and I could get by reading some signs and luckily most people knew English. As for my other travels, I spoke some French and understand some Italian, but I would have gained so much more from the experience without a language barrier.
My most treasured memory is…
Hanging out in hostels with my friends. Usually hostels had community spaces or bars where you could meet other travelers or just chill with the people you were with. It was a great way to unwind after a busy day and get to know people from all over.
London, England
Griffin Deutsch Ithaca College Study Abroad Spring 2018
If you want to blend in, definitely DO NOT...Definitely do not focus on letting everyone know that you’re American (if you are)! Part of going abroad should be embracing other cultures and letting go of some of your preconceptions to learn as much as possible about other people.
A place my friends and I always went out to was…
My friends and I often went to the pubs in London. Most of the time a few of us didn’t even have a drink – it’s just a nice place to socialize with friends and meet new people. Any place that you can go to talk to new people will lend to your experience.
They constantly play _____________ on the radio/ in the club
American music! Every place I travelled to except Berlin played almost exclusively music from the United States.
A phrase I used all the time was ____________ which means _______________
Saying “yeah” after questions and statements. It’s a London thing and you pick it up subconsciously.
Something everyone wears is…
Cuffed jeans and pants. Everyone in London seems to roll up their pants far above their ankles.
I wish I had packed…
A reliable digital camera. I convinced myself before leaving that I didn’t like taking pictures while traveling so I didn’t need one. As soon as you get back home, you’ll regret not having nice photos to reminisce over.
A popular/ specialty drink/food there is…/ Everyone eats...
English people seem to really love Indian food. It’s hard to find authentic Indian food – my roommate was from India so he trained me.
One weird food I tried was…
In Paris, I got to try steak tartare for the first time. Not a particularly exciting food as much of the flavor of the beef is lost as it is not cooked. Mostly tasted like Worcestershire and capers.
If I could do one thing differently it would be…
I would travel with friends/acquaintances even if they weren’t exactly my best friends. I did all my traveling alone which definitely has some benefits, yet I can’t help but feel that I would have enjoyed having a friend with me during some of my travels.
My most treasured memory is…
My most treasured memory (oddly enough) was my last day in London. Not to say that I was happy to leave, but instead I had finally realized how sad I was to be leaving. I realized how connected I felt to the city and how it truly felt like home.
One lesson I learned/ something people might not expect from studying abroad is...
I learned that a budget is very necessary. At the beginning of the trip, I figured that I was financially responsible and that I didn’t need a budget. However, during the course of the trip, unexpected costs will arise and you’ll need to factor those costs into your overall budget. Be prepared for the unexpected.
My advice to anyone else who (wants to) study abroad:
Do your research before you decide on a place to study. A lot of people go with the place that is the easiest – normally a country that speaks your native language. However, there are so many places to study and sometimes the best experience comes from forcing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Madrid, Spain
Menalie Hyde IES Madrid Spring 2017
If you want to blend in, definitely DO NOT…
Wear flip flops. Spanish people rarely, if ever, wear flip flops.
A place my friends and I always went out to was…Chueca. It’s lit. There’s a big gay presence there, so if you want to go out with girl friends and not worry about creepy guys hitting on you it’s way less likely and there are a lot of bars you can visit!
They constantly play _____________ on the radio/ in the club
When I was there, they played Despacito constantly. But please note this was two years ago and that song was hot at the time; I’m not sure what they play now!
A phrase I used all the time was ____________ which means ___________
"Qué guay!" Which means, "How cool!" Guay is Spain-Spanish for cool. Or "Qué mono/monito!" Which is Spain-Spanish for, "How cute!" For example, the stray cat I met at the ceramics school: "Qué monito!! Lo más guapo en todo Madrid!
Something everyone wears is…
Heavy jackets when it’s only 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Spanish people are used to the Mediterranean climate not like people from the Northeast US (or those who went to school in Ithaca NY, where it gets REALLY cold).
I wish I had packed…
Multiple stylish shoes that are good for walking around. I only brought one pair and they were pretty worn out by the middle of the semester.
A popular/ specialty drink/food there is…/ Everyone eats...
Not sure if this counts as specialty but Tinto de verano!! I think it’s wine and lemonade?
One weird food I tried was…Octopus a.k.a. pulpo gallego. In the north of Spain it’s very popular.
If I could do one thing differently it would be…
Not use Ryanair to fly to Paris, that was a mistake! I didn’t realize it was so far away from the city and not in actual Paris. Spend the extra money to go into Charles DaGaulle or else you’ll spend more money on a taxi out to middle of nowheresville Ryanair Paris terminal. Be smarter than me!!
My most treasured memory is…
Going hiking or boating with my friends on the lake. It was so much fun, when we were hiking a little outside of Madrid we ended up going off trail and walking on rocks up the side of a mountain. Even though we were incredibly off trail, we were laughing the whole time. Being with great people makes all the difference!
Rome, Italy
Spencer Mooney IES Study Abroad Spring 2017
If you want to blend in, definitely DO NOT…
Wear shorts or get drunk. Male Italians have this sense of propriety in public whereas even if it’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit your supposed to wear a suit...you’re not supposed to be demure or unrefined. And when Americans go out, they go out to get hammered but Italians just chill.
A place my friends and I always went out to was…
Basically anywhere in Trastevere which is across from the tourist district. Trastevere is cool because everyone just hangs out in public, lots of bars, lots of restaurants. There’s this one sh*tty awful club that we always went out to too called Sharivari and to this day we would avoid that place like the plague.
They constantly play _____________ on the radio/ in the club
Mostly American music but some EDM as well. There was more EDM than usual for sure, more than I expected. It was about 50% American pop artists, 30% EDM, and 20% Italian artists...a lot of Reggaeton actually too, there was quite a lot of that.
A hand gesture I used all the time was...
The gesture where you purse all your fingers together facing upward and just kid of shake your wrist to emphasize what you’re saying.
Something everyone wears is…Leather. A lot of leather.
I wish I had packed…
Less clothes because I shopped a lot while I was there.
A popular/ specialty drink/food there is…/ Everyone eats...The touristy answer is Aperol Spritz but surprisingly beer is getting big there, like there’s a lot of big breweries springing up. But the real thing in Rome is Apertivo and it’s really nice because you can buy a drink and eat pretty cheaply.
One weird food I tried was… Cuts of meat because Roman cooking is kind of inherited from generations of poverty because it’s this teaming city with a large urban population so the traditional dishes there are often oxtails or organ meats but tripe is also really big which I found to be delicious.
If I could do one thing differently it would be…
Taking more interesting trips. Unfortunately there were places I regret going like Venice, Paris, and London but only because I had been there before and wished I had used that time to go somewhere bizarre and interesting. Also really just exploring more of the countryside in Italy because it’s so underdone. Usually people just go European city hopping but there’s so much more to do.
My most treasured memory is…
There are a few times I went up to Gianicolo in Rome and it has this beautiful vista over Rome...it’s just amazing and beautiful and going up there over various parts of the trip with my friends were definitely some of the highlights.
One lesson I learned/ something people might not expect from studying abroad is...
It’s important to make the most out of every moment and being economical with my time because you have a lot of responsibilities but also try to have fun. Also meeting new people whether it’s new Americans or meeting new, interesting people with very different and intriguing backgrounds from your own.
My advice to anyone else who (wants to) study abroad:
You gotta make friends with people who are from there and not just your roommates and classmates.
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