Here’s a video of the changing of the guard in Athens. In front of the Parliament building, the guards change every hour on the hour in this manner. But unlike the stoic guards at Buckingham palace, these guards will bite back if you mess with them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BwDOshTF_o
“Ah, Madrid… you chose the perfect city to visit in Europe.” Those were the words of Javier, an extremely friendly Spanish guy who sat next to me on the flight from London to Madrid during the second week of my two and a half week Fall Break. After four days of being in Spain’s capital, Javier couldn’t have been more correct. What a great city, what a fantastic culture, and what an unforgettable experience in the heart of Spain.
My first taste of Madrid and Spanish culture arrived where most people wouldn’t expect, but for those who know me would hardly come as much of a surprise. Shorty after taking the Metro from Madrid Barajas Airpot to the western part of the city and getting situated at my friend’s apartment, I joined the masses and headed for the Vicente Calderon – the home of Atletico Madrid. Although nowhere near as popular or successful as cross-town rivals and world-renowned European giants Real Madrid, Atletico are one of the best teams in the La Liga, Spain’s first division, and just came off of a season in which they won the Europa Cup.
My first taste of Spanish football
I can’t say that I’m much of an Atletico Madrid fan, but going to a Spanish futbol match was undoubtedly something I just couldn’t pass up. Despite Atetico drawing 1-1 with U.D. Almeria, a smaller club from southern Spain, it was still a highly entertaining match and an experience I’ll never forget. Going to football games in England is one thing, but witnessing the beautiful game in the country that just won the World Cup was an experience of its own. It was without a doubt the perfect way to kick-off my trip to Madrid.
Plaza Monumental de las Ventas
One thing that made my trip successful was the easiness of Madrid’s Metro system. The system is actually the sixth largest in the world, but after a few days of hopping on and off at various locations around the city I found it to be the least complicated of its type that I’ve used before. I suppose it helped that I had been well accustomed to using such modes of transportation through the London Underground. Regardless, Madrid’s Metro was also my cheapest way of traveling around the city with each single trip across the entire network only being 2 euros and a 10 trip ticket costing just 9 euros.
Despite using train several times each day, I spent the majority of my time walking and taking all of the great sights and simply observing people go about their day. At times I walked with absolutely no clue of what direction I was headed in and somehow always arrived at a point of interest. But in a city as richly and historic as Madrid, how could I not? It’s nice to have a plan of where you’re going to go and what you’re going to see on a particular day, but often times it’s refreshing just exploring and getting lost in the magnificence and splendor of such a great city.
Plaza de Cibeles
One of the highlights of my trip was seeing the Palacio Real, the official residence of the King of Spain. I’ve seen Buckingham Palace on numerous occasions and I’ve always been in awe of it, but the Palacio Real might even trump it in my opinion (Sorry Queen Elizabeth!). Along with the Royal Palace, I also visited Plaza Espana, Puerta de Toledo, Plaza Mayor, Almudena Cathedral, the Debod Temple, Puerta del Sol, Plaza de Cibeles, the Santiago Barnebeu, Plaza Monumental de las Ventas and numerous other sights. It was a great couple of days walking around and viewing the sights and embracing everything Madrid has to offer. It was also a wake-up call for me, however. Apparently my Spanish isn’t as good as I thought it was as I found out at about every restaurant I attempted to order food at!
Seeing fascinating buildings and visiting historic sites is great, but in order to truly embrace a country and its culture you have to converse with the people. A sign at the airport when I arrived welcomed me by saying ‘Bienvenidos’, but it was the people in Madrid who really helped me feel welcome in their city. Everywhere I went people were friendly, even if they didn’t speak more than a sentence of English. I’ll always remember Madrid for its beauty and splendor, but I am absolutely certain I will never forget the countless people who chose to make a foreigner like me feel welcome in their remarkable city and wonderful country. Salud, Madrid…
Bear and the El Madroño Tree at Puerta del Sol
Palacio Real
To view more photos from my trip to Madrid visit my album.
It’s no surprise that every study abroad student looks forward to their mid-semester break. It’s shocking how much planning can go into perfecting every little detail of a two-week itinerary, and many long afternoons were spent with our entire house surrounding the kitchen table, double and triple-checking details, and joining in on one another’s plans. I was well aware this trip would be quite the experience, but of course, it was an amazing one.
My trip began on a Friday morning at 5:00 a.m., when I took the bus to London to catch my flight to Athens. It was a long day of traveling, but when I stepped outside of my metro stop and caught my first, breathtaking glimpse of the Acropolis, the entire day was worth it.
Myself in front of the Parthenon!
Despite some of the troubles it has come across in recent times, Greece is such an amazing country. It is incredible how they have maintained their history and culture despite constantly changing times, and seeing all of the ruins was just fascinating. Since I spent four days there, I was able to see the entire city, and really gained a lot of respect and appreciation for the Greeks and how much they enjoy life.
My next stop was Rome, which had been the destination I was most excited for before even coming to Cambridge. Although the weather wasn’t the greatest for parts of my time there, that surely didn’t dampen my spirits or sight-seeing. Seeing St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and just the Vatican City in general really blew my mind. As a Catholic, I have heard and learned much about all of these places, and being able to see them in person made me feel very gracious and well in touch with my faith.
Of course, you can’t see Rome without seeing the Colosseum and other fun destinations, so a lot of walking was shoved into the few days I was able to be there. The Colosseum was everything that I had hoped it would be, and although I got lost while looking for the Pantheon, I was able to see quite a bit.
Feels just like the B.C.’s 🙂
The next two stops on my tour of Italy were Venice and Verona, both of which I absolutely fell in love with. Walking around Venice was a blast, and I found myself constantly stopping to take pictures of the sun setting on the canals. It’s definitely a place I would like to visit again, hopefully to spend more time out on the water.
Julie & Juliet! <3
To some people, Verona may seem like sort of a cliche, since it is infamous for being the home of Romeo and Juliet. Although this was the main reason I decided to make it a stop on my trip, I was surprised at how much there was to do and see in Verona, as well as how beautiful of a city it really was. I spent my afternoon there mailing my letter to Juliet, seeing Juliet’s house, and sitting on the stairs of the city hall building, watching the sun set. It was definitely the right way to spend my last full day in Italy.
Getting to the airport for my flight to Barcelona wasn’t the easiest due to a miscommunication and the fact that I at one point got on the wrong train, just to hop off of it moments before it left due to a nice Italian woman who could actually understand me. After being anxious while waiting in a long line to check my bag, I was practically running through the airport and security to make sure I caught my flight, just to see that it was delayed forty minutes. I was actually really thankful for this delay, since it gave me a little bit of time to relax before having to travel yet again. My plane finally landed in Barcelona at around 2:00 a.m, and I have never been so happy to see a hostel bed in my entire life.
It may seem weird that I decided to spend an entire week in Barcelona for the last part of my break, but I must say that it was totally worth it. I was able to see and do so much in Barcelona, and I began to know the city as if it were home. The weather was beautiful (in the mid-70’s), so every day was perfect for walking around, or even hitting the beach. I was able to spend plenty of time with many of the members of the Cambridge group, as well as spend more time with my Reutlingen friends.
View from Park Guell in Barcelona!
I could write paragraph after paragraph about how awesome and eye-opening my two break was, but like Amber, I must admit that I’m pretty exhausted from all the excitement. For now, I’m going to go enjoy being back at the Cambridge Centre with some pumpkin pie :). Ciao, bellas!
Whether you’re looking for some great English food, a satisfying drink, a place to watch football games or a few friendly faces to have a casual conversation with, English pubs are the place to go. Over the course of the past two months I’ve visited countless pubs in England and have enjoyed every one of my experiences. The people are always friendly and despite my friends and I being foreigners, we are always made to feel welcome – even the ones who know next to nothing about football. Pubs are a place people come to simply enjoy a drink and socialize with other locals or strangers from other places, like myself.
For a guy like me, there isn’t much better than watching football at the pubs in England. And for a guy like me, I was able to realize that during the first day I arrived in this country. In the United States, I had to wake up as early as 6:00 a.m., even 4:00 a.m. on one occasion, to watch my favorite football team play. Restaurants and bars are certainly not open at this time, although even if they were it wouldn’t make much of a difference for me. Most of the time I was forced to watch matches on the internet through live streaming as the English Premier League is rarely televised in North America. In other words, I was alone in my room celebrating whenever my team scored a goal. Apologies once again to all my past roommates!
Thankfully in Kenya the time difference ensured I only stayed up as late as 1:00 a.m. to watch a football match. And thankfully, more often than not I was able to watch most of the matches at a crowded restaurant or bar surrounded by other avid football fans. It was always a weekend tradition for my family. Whenever Saturday or Sunday afternoon arrived, my Dad and I would drive to a restaurant thirty minutes before kick-off in order to get a seat for the match. Occasionally we even managed to convince my Mom to come along. Regardless of who was playing, it was always destined to be an enjoyable time and capable of being the highlight of any weekend.
Several hours after arriving in Cambridge back in August I strolled down to a pub called Sir Isaac Newton’s which was located just two blocks away from my house. It was there that I watched my first football match in England and it was there that I received my first taste of English culture. The match on TV wasn’t even one I really cared too much about and more than anything it was just a chance to experience the pub life in England. I was not to be let down. Everyone in the pub had nothing but football coming from their lips and it was a warm welcoming to a brand new country to be able to talk to complete strangers about everything and anything pertaining to football. It was an easy common ground and it provided a platform to meet new people and served as an early indication of how friendly people in England are.
On some occasions and depending on the importance of the match, the pub can be filled with all types of people. Young, old, men, women, even children. A few nights ago I watched a Carling Cup match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton and sat next beside a table where an elderly couple who appeared to be in their 70’s was sitting. When it comes to people’s passion for football in this country, age really is just a number!
A few weeks ago I watc
hed an England National team match at Sir Isaac Newton’s where the entire pub was packed from wall to wall. My odds of finding a seat that night were as good as my chances of winning the National Lottery. The atmosphere inside the place was incredible, however. Dozens of fans crowded around the TV’s in each corner of the room while people at the bar stood conversing and offering their two cents’ worth on the big match. And after England ended the match victorious, instead of filtering out of the pub and heading in separate directions, the majority of the people stayed to socialize and alternate buying rounds of drinks for each other.
Even if you’re not into football, pubs in England offer provide something for everybody. In fact, there are numerous pubs in the country that don’t televise football. In fact, many don’t even have TV’s. You can’t go wrong if you’re looking for a tasty plate of food that will fill your stomach. Fish n’ Chips are a favorite about anywhere and a lot of pubs pride themselves over their wide selection of drinks available.
So if you love football or if you can’t stand it, English pubs offer something for everyone and are one of many enjoyable aspects of English culture. Well, that is as long as you’re looking to eat delicious food, drink great beverages and converse with all sorts of friendly people.
12 years is a long wait for anything. But for me, waiting 12 years to go to my first Manchester United match at Old Trafford felt like eternity. When you wait so long for something you wonder if it will be meet the expectations that have been built up over the last decade or so. But for me, there was no question that seeing my favorite football club in their famous stadium would not only meet my expectations, but surpass them.
Indeed it did.
I remember watching Manchester United when I was young. I remember my fascination and my immediate love for the club and all its players and most of all, I remember wishing that I would one day be able to witness them play. The years went by and my love for the club only intensified with every season and with every match, but my wish remained the same.
Recently I was finally able to accomplish my dream and make that wish come true. As soon as tickets had gone on sale for the Manchester United vs. West Bromwich Albion match on October 16th I purchased tickets and on day before the match I made the much-anticipated journey to Manchester, England. Less than an hour after arriving at the train station I arrived at Old Trafford – a Mecca for all United supporters. I stopped and admired the stadium I had seen hundreds of times on TV and for a moment, I even had to pinch myself. Being there simply seemed too good to be true.
Indeed it was.
Before I knew it, I was standing next to the pitch my heroes play on every week as part of a guided tour of the entire stadium. Minutes later I found myself sitting in the players’ dressing room where famous names such as George Best, Bryan Robson and David Beckham have sat… the same room where Sir Alex Ferguson gives his team talks and where the champagne is popped after a cup triumph. Some of the most famous athletes in the world occupied the same room on a frequent basis.
Following the tour of the stadium I walked through every room inside the museum, admiring all of the trophies and awards on display. With over 100 years of rich, unmatched history on show, I found it hard to make myself leave. Finally, after more than two hours inside the museum and an additional hour in the stadium’s Mega Store, I forced myself to move on. I suppose it helped that I would be back inside the stadium the following day as Manchester United hosted West Brom.
If I thought tour
ing the stadium and its museum was something special, I was in for the experience of a lifetime on the day of the match. After bumping into a group of United fans who had made the journey down from Ireland, we hung out a supporters’ pub before the match as we counted down the hours until kick-off. We arrived at Bishops Plaize at 11:00, four and a half hours before kick-off, and astonishingly by this time the pub was already packed with supporters socializing and belting out chant after chant about their beloved club. It didn’t take long for me to join in.
The time for the match finally arrived and by then I was already hoarse. My voice would suffer further impairment as I spent the entire 90 minutes of the match participating in the numerous chants that rang around the stadium. Never before in my life had I experienced such a remarkable atmosphere at a sporting event. This was an experience of a lifetime, not just for me, but for most of the 75,023 fans inside the stadium. Despite the match ending in a 2-2 draw, I was still incredibly satisfied with the experience of being at my first Manchester United match. More than anything though, I was already plotting my return to Manchester for another taste of one of the most incredible experiences the world has to offer me.
Footage of the pre-match traditions: Bishops Plaize Pub
From the very beginning of planning my trip to Paris, it seemed as if the weekend was destined for disaster. It took (literally) ten times to buy our Eurostar tickets, we were scammed out of an apartment two days before we were supposed to arrive, and emotions were running high in our group of seven girls who had planned to go together. We had 48 hours, and very few (and not to mention pricey) options left. Four of the girls decided on a hostel as a last resort, while myself and my friends/housemates Hannah and Alyson continued to look. Just as we were about to give up on the search and pick a different weekend to go to Paris, I had an epiphany. Luckily, and very thankfully, the entire Reutlingen group would be in Paris the exact same days, and several of my close friends within the group had mentioned they were getting an apartment. Although I knew there was a very good chance the apartment would be full, I gave it one last shot and Facebook messaged my sorority sister Angela to check the availability. The three of us sat on pins and needles waiting for her response, but, just as all good friends do, Angela pulled through and was kind enough to rebook a bigger apartment to include the three of us: the trip to Paris was back in action.
The ease of the Eurostar chunnel system was fabulous, and we had no huge problems when it came to getting to Paris. We had told the Germany group what time our train got in, and we had exchanged several of our phone numbers. I figured it would be easiest to call them once we had reached the apartment, so we split off from the other group of girls and took a taxi to the address Angela had provided. We still hadn’t heard from the Germany group, and all of the houses in the subdivision had passcode entry. No problem, I would just call them to let us in, right? … Wrong. None of our cell phones would allow us to call the Germany group, and none of our text messages were being answered. Worried and panicked, we stopped into a cafe down the road and tried to figure out what we would do next. Just as I was on the phone with our program director (the only call I was able to make), seeing how he could help us in any way possible, and on the verge of tears, Alyson got a call from an unknown number. It turned out to be the Reutlingen group, and they had been trying to reach us all night. Neither of our cell phone companies worked, so they had finally resorted to the blessing of adding credit to a Skype account. We bolted out of the cafe and just about tackled Zack and Jake as soon as we saw them. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been so excited to see two people in my entire life.
Zack and Jake started to walk us to the apartment, but warned us on the way in. “This place is small and not what we thought it was, you’re going to be disappointed,” Jake told me as he was about to open the front door. I looked at Hannah and Alyson and felt more despair creeping in.. until we stepped into the apartment, that is. It. Was. Amazing. Our own private pool, five bedrooms, five baths, a huge living room, kitchen, and dining room, as well as a deck that led out onto the roof. Not only were we safely in Paris, but we were going to live like rockstars for the next few days.
Our wonderful living room and porch!
After all the greetings and exclamations of relief that we were alright from our Reutlingen friends, we settled into our new palace and decided to break in the pool. We were in the pool for hours before realizing how late it was getting, and decided to call it a night in order to see the city the next day.
Unfortunately, we got to a late start to the day, and were in a mad dash to meet the rest of the Cambridge girls at the Cathedrale de Notre Dame. The cathedral was definitely worth the hurry, seeing as it was absolutely breathtaking. I remember seeing a picture of it on a friend’s refrigerator when I was in third grade and always wanting to see it myself, and it was surely worth the several year wait.
We decided to take the Metro back to the apartment and buy groceries for the rest of the weekend before we went to the Louvre that evening, and so far, the Metro had been super easy to master. It had been easy getting to Notre Dame, so we thought it would be just as simple to get home. Not so much. In a moment of utter confusion, and being unable to find someone who could give us clear directions in English, we hopped on a double decker train. We knew right away this probably wasn’t a good idea, and decided that we would get off at the next stop. Unfortunately, the train didn’t stop.. for 25 minutes. In a frenzy, we hurried off the train and realized we couldn’t even get onto a different train without a train ticket, which of course, we didn’t have. Hearing that we were lost, a nice Englishman behind us stopped us and asked where we were going. “We need to get to the 20th district,” I said, pointing our stop out to him on the map. “In Paris?” he responded, starting to laugh. I didn’t find this funny, of course it was Paris, that’s where we were after all. “You’re 15 miles outside of Paris in the suburbs,” he replied, looking at our terrified expressions. He explained to us that a train back to the heart of Paris would be leaving in 7 minutes, and he even scanned his train pass so that we could get through in time. I’m still convinced the man was an angel.
After arriving back at our apartment about an hour and a half later than originally planned, we rushed to get ready for the Louvre, which was definitely one of the places I was most excited to see in Paris. Our trip to the Louvre was great, and although I was a tad bit disappointed by the size of the Mona Lisa, it was still an incredible experience to see so many works of art that are so highly idolized and admired. We spent another evening hanging out and enjoying the company of our new housemates, and all was going well until the power in the house went completely out. None of us had any idea what to do, but thankfully, a French friend of Angela’s that had stopped by the house figured out our breaker box, and our power was restored after 40 minutes of chaos. We all laughed about it, and I already knew that leaving this wonderful place and amazing company on Sunday would be rough.
Saturday was jam-packed with sightseeing, and luckily, Alyson had friends that are studying in Paris who were happy to be our tour guides. We did a lot of walking, seeing the Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe, and Moulin Rouge along the way. Since the Louvre is enormous, we also made a second trip there to see more of the iconic artwork that we didn’t catch the first time around. We decided to save the Eiffel Tower for night, and were luckily enough to catch the 8:00-8:05 light show, which was just amazing. I found myself falling more and more in love with Paris and the Parisian lifestyle throughout the day, and thinking about my train in the morning was seriously depressing.
The light show at the Eiffel Tower.. Amazing!
We spent one last, amazing night with our housemates, staying up way too late to be happy about waking up at 6:00 am to catch the chunnel. I slept through both the trains from Paris to London and London to Cambridge, and although the weekend was absolutely incredible, I was pleased to see the house when I remembered my bed was inside of it. The weekend was a crazy mess of ups-and-downs, but really, I wouldn’t have it any other way — It was just further proof that no matter what life throws at you, you can rely on the care of your friends, kindness of strangers, and brain of yourself to get you through absolutely anything. Paris was a weekend I will surely never forget.
When most people hear Amsterdam, they think about the Red Light District. But what most people don’t realize is there is so much else to see and do Amsterdam and it is those things that ultimately make it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Spending three days in Amsterdam not only proved this to me, but gave me one of my best travel experiences in my entire life. With the city of Amsterdam being an incredible 60% water and only 40% land, every street I turned on to I found myself confronted with an absolutely beautiful view of the Amstel River. Nicknamed the ‘Venice of the North’, Amsterdam has more than 100 km’s of canals and over 1,500 bridges. In other words, it made for a fantastic weekend of touring Holland’s great capital.
Prior to departing for Amsterdam I did a lot of research about the city and made a list of things I wanted to do or places I wanted to see during my three day visit. When I traveled to Munich three weeks ago I failed to do adequate research about the city and what there was to do and ended up leaving with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I was determined not to let that happen this time around. All I wanted to do was make the most out of this trip and see as much of the city as possible.
Three days and 253 pictures later, I can definitely say I did. I’m not really one to pull out my camera at every significant sight I see, but I doubt I have ever looked like more of a tourist than I did in Amsterdam. I was okay with that though, mainly because the city was so stunning and I felt obliged to document as much of it as possible.
If ever you travel to a big city in Europe, take advantage of the guided walking tours. Most big cities in Europe have them and they are well advertised, both on the web and at hotels and hostels in that city. Not only are they free, but they ensure you see as much of the city as possible and provide information about the history of the city and the numerous sights you see along the way. My tour guide in Amsterdam was actually an Australian named Julian, but he probably knew more about the city than most locals. Along the way we saw the Royal Palace of Netherlands, the oldest and second oldest churches in the country (literally called the New and Old Church), the ‘Café In De Waag’ (once an execution building), the narrowest house in all of Amsterdam, the Dutch National Museum, a coffee shop where part of Ocean 12 was filmed, the house where Ann Frank lived and much, much more. The tour concluded at Boom Chicago, a fancy Dutch restaurant where if you finish your first plate of food you are served a second one for free. We all finished, of course.
Following the tour and after devouring two plates of fantastic Dutch food – Rockworst and potatoes – we headed to our hostel boat that we would be staying on for two nights. I was somewhat uncertain of what the boat would be like, but immediately after arriving, I knew it would be the perfect place to stay. It turned out it was too. The owner of the boat was an extremely friendly and outgoing man by the name of Hansen (although I still couldn’t pronounce it the proper Dutch way if it saved my life) and he made us feel right at home. Located in Oosterdok, a scenic harbor in the east part of the city, the boat provided a great place to relax after a long day of walking around the city.
I saw and did many great things during my stay in Amsterdam, but going on a canal cruise was undoubtedly my best decision of the weekend. I thought I had seen a lot during my walking tour the day before, but sitting on the back of a long boat as it wound through the Amstel River in the heart of the city was spectacular and definitely helped me get the most out of my visit. It also may have helped that it was such a gorgeous day, but as I floated along the numerous canals in various parts of the city, I realized how unique and beautiful of a city Amsterdam is.
From its laid back culture to its magnificent canals, Amsterdam is a place I’ll never forget. One of the coolest sights I witnessed was the numerous street performers at Dam Square, the historical center of the city and the setting for the Royal Palace and the National Monument. Huge flocks of people, not just tourists, gather around to either watch a trio of people play jazz music or a man perform magic tricks. It’s all quite entertaining, really. Not to mention relaxing. During all hours of the day and night the tables and chairs outside of the cafes and restaurants are filled with people, all of whom are enjoying a cup of tea or a pint of Heineken or Grolch (the premium lagers in the Netherlands). Most interestingly, people face the street while sipping on their beverage and conversing with their companions, something I have never witnessed before.
The city may be famed for its ‘coffee shops’, but if I had to sum up Amsterdam in two words, I would say relaxing and beautiful. That’s what I took from this great city, along with the 253 photos and countless memories, of course.
Planning a trip can seem somewhat daunting at times, especially if you’re traveling to a new country for the very first time. If you plan accordingly, however, you are guaranteed to get a much better experience out of it. And no matter how many hours of research you end up doing beforehand, it will be worth every second of it once you arrive at your destination. Based on my travels so far, here’s a list of the five important things to research or do before you depart:
1) Transportation – It’s not even worth mentioning you need to figure out how to get to the airport from your own house, but it’s important to research the best ways to travel to your hostel, hotel or friend’s house from the airport you’re flying into. It’s easy just to wave down a taxi outside the airport, but if you’re traveling by yourself or in a small group, there are often cheaper options. It’s not a bad idea to check if there are any buses or trains leaving from the airport towards the place you need to be. Most airports provide bus or train services for a relatively cheap price.
2) Contact Information – in case of emergency, it’s always good to make sure someone from back home knows where you are staying in whatever country you may be traveling to. The chances of your flight being cancelled may be slim, but in case an emergency does arise, such as Eyjafjallajökull (the Iceland volcano no one can pronounce) earlier this year, it’s important your friends or family from back home know where you are.
3) Communication – To go along with the second point, it’s vital to have at least some form of communication while you are traveling. Not all hostels provide internet access so it isn’t a bad idea to have a phone on you. I found that extremely helpful when I travelled to Munich with four of my friends. At times it’s easy to get lost or separated from your friends, and without a phone, it can be a nightmare trying to locate other members of your group. Lastly, if you do have a phone, make you sure find out what the country code is where you are so you can make calls. Here’s a list of country calling codes: http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/countrylist.php
4) Attractions – I can speak from experience when I say it’s a terrible idea to fly to a new country without any real idea of what you want to see or do while you are there. If you research what type of attractions your country has to offer you’ll be able to pick and choose what you want to do ahead of time, ensuring you get the most out of your visit and experience as much of the culture as you possibly can. The internet is full of information of what to do and see in various countries, and if that doesn’t suffice, most book stores contain travel guides for specific countries, even cities. Also, bring a map of the city in order to help you get around from place to place.
5) Budget – Some countries cost more than others and it’s safe to say that food, drinks, accommodation and the price of tourist attractions varies in each country. Do a little research beforehand so you can have a good idea of how much money you think you’ll need to spend during your travels. It’s always good to have an idea of how much things will cost so you’re not overwhelmed when you get there.
The list is by no means conclusive, but it can be a good start for anyone embarking on a trip to a new country. Most importantly, have fun and take full advantage of being in a place some people still dream of going to.
Cheers!
I reply, “Yes, I run the half-mile and mile.” A hush fell over the group, which consisted mainly of 5k and 10k road runners and half-marathoners. After about a minute of silence the pack leader turns to me and asks, “Can you hold your distance?” in the same tone of voice senior fraternity brother would ask a pledge, “Can you hold your liquor?”
I replied in a cowboy accent, “Damn straight.”
“Good lad,” he smirked and we floored it for the remaining five miles.
All before my first class this morning.
Adaptation is kind of a funny concept. When I arrived in Cambridge 38 days ago, I had a feeling that my study abroad semester would go something like this: Leave USA, go to this “foreign” country for a few months, return to USA and life goes on completely as usual. I had in mind that Cambridge was just going to be a few months vacation. 38 days in, and with 72 days to go, I can already say this isn’t the case at all… Cambridge is starting to feel just like home.
I’m not sure exactly when or how it happened, but life here seems incredibly normal. From the outside looking in, it may seem a little absurd, considering I live and go to class in a house with fifteen other people, have to cook for myself (a big feat when it comes to myself), and am jet-setting all over Europe on the weekends. Normal to everyone? Not at all. Normal to me? Absolutely.
One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad, and quite possibly for other students as well, is the challenge that it offers you. My life has always been incredibly comfortable (not that it’s a bad thing), but my sense of adventure was asking for something a little more. I have learned to change and adapt to the setting around me, and I’m loving every minute of it.
In 72 days, which I’m sure will fly by, I’ll find that once again, I’ll be adapting. This time it will be into the life that I already know and love, in the U.S. Although I know I will probably never live in Cambridge again, I will always carry a piece of my Cambridge lifestyle with me.
Cambridge Beauty
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