Getting ready

Common steps before going on a study abroad:

1.  Send in program application.
2.  Google your destination highlights (check tripadvisor.com).
3.  Google "study abroad tips."
4.  Compile a master list of what you need to get ready.
5.  Stare desolately at the suitcase that you have chosen to contain everything you need in order to live for the next however many weeks/months and wonder why you have put yourself in this situation and try desperately to get the suitcase to remain under fifty pounds.

I cannot tell you that the weeks before you leave won't be stressful.  I rotated between small anxiety attacks about leaving home and going halfway around the world and feeling disconnected from reality, knowing that I would be leaving soon but unable to attach meaning to that idea.  What was most unsettling for me was that I literally could not picture what life would be like in two months - an imagination gap caused by living in the same town of 50,000 for twenty years to going to a city of 12,000,000.  Everyone has their own source of motivation and desire to study abroad and similarly everyone has their own fears and anxieties about the experience.  I cannot erase those fears but I can hopefully help you counter them.

Maria's additional preparation steps for studying abroad:

1) Cuddle your pets.  You will be able to talk to friends and family while abroad (with whatsapp and facetime both texts and phone calls become free) but while you can arrange to talk to your pets you will not be able to pet them and they will not be able to talk back.  Homesickness is real and will often revolve around the aspects of home that you cannot access while gone - such as interacting with your pets.

In my free time I went flower hunting and walked around a garden.

2) Take it easy.  You are likely to be very busy upon arriving in another country. Take the week before you leave to relax so that you can be at your best for the beginning of your journey.  For example, I stopped working a week early and took that week to read, sleep, visit gardens, and catch up with friends who I would not see for months.  How do you best relax?






3) Comfort food.  It may seem ridiculous but I cannot emphasize the joy this decision brought.  In my suitcase I threw a few bags of tea and some packets of miso soup.  This meant that when I woke up in an unfamiliar place I had caffeine easily at hand and when I arrived back at my place those first few days and didn't want to cook or spend more money I had a cheap option for supper.  My rule of thumb was that even though suitcase room is precious, there is always room for what makes you happy.  What will help you transition during your first week in a new country?







4) Remember that mistakes make great stories.  This is cliched but true. The day I left Des Moines storms were ranging across the eastern coast of the US.  I had three connecting flights and I managed

to catch none of them.  In the process of getting from Des Moines to my destination I experienced delayed flights, boarding an airplane then an hour later having to get off said airplane as our pilots had apparently been delayed elsewhere, having my journey extended by an extra day, being routed through an unplanned foreign country, and loosing my luggage.  Throughout it all I remained calm because there really was little I could do to change the situation - things just happen.  But I smile when I recollect this experience.  Who knew I would get such a good story on the first leg of my journey?  In times when you can't control a situation, you can control how you react to it, and remember mistakes and challenges can make great stories.

Common conversations before going on a study abroad:

Question: "What do I need to pack to go to x?"
Answer: "Oh, you know, everything.  But don't pack too much because you'll find that you won't need it all."
Question: "Um, can you please elaborate on the 'everything' part?"
Answer: "Be prepared for rain, snow, heat waves, below freezing temperatures, professional dress as well as what you wish to wear to school, etc."
Question: "And I'm supposed to get this into one suitcase?"
Answer: "Yes."
Seemingly the answer to this last question is to either 1) use the force, 2) be prepared to buy things on arrival that you know you own but have left behind, or 3) have very heavy carry-ons.  It might come down to a combination of the three.  Tip: dressing in layers will accommodate multiple weather conditions.


In all honesty, I think packing might be the hardest of all study-abroad related activities.  Not only was it often vague as to what I would need but I had also arranged to travel around before arriving in Hong Kong which meant I had to strictly keep to the one suitcase limit for international travel.  I departed home with a full suitcase, a full backpack as my carry-on, and a full messenger bag as my purse.  I was later to find out that it is much easier to pack at home and miraculously get everything to fit then to repack later on and repeat the feat.

Milestone: Successfully repacked for the first time!

Apparently, like noodles, luggage expands with time. Who knew.