Author: Caroline Dienes

Program: Cambridge, England – Study Center

We started in Germany, Amsterdam, and Prague. Next, we moved to Amsterdam and Ireland. Then, we shifted to just Ireland. And finally, we ended up in Spain. This was the Cambridge cohort’s thought process while planning our first ten day break. As you can see, we veered off in completely, and literally, opposite directions.

To be honest, Spain wasn’t on my list of destinations I wanted to visit with my time abroad. I don’t speak too much Spanish and going to a place where they only spoke that wasn’t really my bag. Also, Cambridge is chilly. I brought tons of sweaters and jeans. Shorts and summer clothes didn’t necessarily cross my mind while packing. I did, for some reason, pack two pairs of shorts and my bathing suit. So, I was somewhat prepared. But, in other ways, not prepared whatsoever for a trip to Spain.

Now, I already mentioned that Spain was never a place I was dying to go to. It was basically a last minute decision made because of a lack of planning for other destinations. However, one of my favorite days out of all the days I have been abroad, has been a day consisting of laying on the beach in Sitges, Spain. I never thought I would be laying out in the sand on a gorgeous beach with my time out of the country.

Telling the story of my time in Spain would take about five pages, so I am going to choose to give some traveling advice instead. The first is about planning your trips. Our group’s original plan was to travel to a variety of places in Europe, places everyone wanted to go. However, we began planning our ten day trip the week before which is the biggest “not to do” on the not to do list. All the prices sky rocketed from flights to places to stay, and everything in between. Thus, we all started searching for literally the cheapest place to
go with such a short notice. And this week, Spain won that battle. Start planning trips well in advance to get caroline_sitges_1the best prices on the places you absolutely want to go visit. Planning and buying tickets isn’t the most fun thing to do, but trust me. It’s better than scrambling to find a last minute resort (no pun intended) when your original places become incredibly out of your price range.

Here’s another helpful tip, which I think is even more important than preparing for all of your traveling. Spain wasn’t running through my mind at all while planning and when it surprisingly became the official next destination, I was almost tolerating it. But in the end, I loved Spain. The gardens and parks were breathtaking, the beaches were the most serene bodies of water I have ever seen, and the people were willing to help in anyway possible, even though the language barrier was a thing. It goes to show that even though plans can go awry in one way or another, make the most of the situation you’re having and turn it into an experience you’ll never forget. Spain wasn’t even a thought, but it was turned into quite the learning experience. That’s why I always say, “No Spain… No gain.”

Stay Fresh,
Caroline Dienes