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Preparation Guide to Travel
Your major relocation overseas and studies in Spain are approaching closer, so it is time for you to start planning and organizing your journey. You will need to start packing for Spain as soon as possible and make arrangements for your flights, accommodations, and transportation to and from the airport. It’s time to get those piles of clothing off the floor and into your baggage, so get to it! You may need some time to deliberate about the things that you should take with you and the things that you must leave behind. Because the common things people forget tend to stress them at times. You’ve secured all of the necessary permits for your time spent studying abroad, and you’ve been using Duolingo to hone your skills in the country language in which you’ll be living. Getting ready for a trip to the beach doesn’t need much preparation: bring some sunscreen, shoes, a swimsuit, and sunglasses. Getting ready to spend three to nine months, or perhaps a whole year, in another nation for academic reasons is a challenge that scores better on the complexity scale. In this post, we will take you step-by-step through the things that you will have to bring with you, how to pack your wardrobe effectively, and what goods you should leave behind. It should be a terrific starting place for you, regardless of where your travels in studying abroad lead you!
The Necessities
Make sure you don’t forget this on your trip under any circumstances. Everything on your necessities list needs to be carried in carry-on baggage instead of a checked bag. Simply in case, someone is prowling about who steals baggage. Your fundamentals have to contain the following:
Adapters and Converters for Electrical Power
You’ll probably want to carry a few chargers with you on your trip, whether for your smartphone, laptop, or e-reader. But, of course, you’ll need a converter to do so, and you may also need an adapter.
Because not all nations utilize the same amount of power voltage, only altering the design of the plug is not enough to get your charger to operate. It can even be unsafe and cause the gadget to become overheated and short out. There are, of course, a few factors that need to be taken into consideration, which might result in this list appearing somewhat differently to you.
Be sure to research the types of plugs and voltage used in the nation to which you will bring the appropriate adapters for all of your electronic equipment. Because not everywhere has convenient access to stores and supermarkets, you may need to carry additional personal items with you to class if you’re going to be in a location that doesn’t have a lot of stores nearby.
Commute Essentials & Toiletry items
Some toiletries may be more “necessary” than others, depending on your routine at home. Pack your carry-on luggage with toiletries such as deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner. A lot will depend on where you’re going, including whether or not you’ll have easy access to a drugstore or para-pharmacy where you can pick up things like shampoo, deodorant, and moisturizing cream.
There are places where a trip to the grocery is required merely to get there. You should ask your student exchange coordinator what this means for you so that you may carry more necessary toiletries if necessary. In addition, bring adequate toiletries for the first two to four weeks of your stay. However, arriving in your host nation and being concerned about how to clean your teeth is the last thing you want when you would not waste any room. We’re confident that you’ll have a firm grasp of the grocery scenario in your new nation by the time you run out of supplies. There is one exception to the rule of bringing travel-sized toiletries: bug repellent, sunscreen, and solution for contact lenses. If you need them, be sure to bring them along with you. They may be costly in other countries, so saving money by not purchasing a small quantity in advance is better.
Native Money
These days, using a bank card issued in the United States is often the easiest method to acquire access to cash in a foreign country. Still, you may wish to travel with some foreign exchange or traveler’s checks just in case anything unexpected happens. Passport & Qualified Visa Be sure to keep the reproductions in a distinct location from the original documents; doing so will help issue a new passport and visa from the American embassy if the originals are misplaced or stolen.
Prescription Drugs and Medications
If you take any drugs that need a prescription, it is an excellent way to ensure that you carry enough medicine while you are away from home. It is quite probable that a foreign pharmacy would not respect an American prescription; therefore, it is best to have a duplicate of the prescription with you so that you may present it to a local physician if you need a different medication.
Sanitizer for the Hands and a Face Mask
With the rapid expansion of COVID-19, it is advisable to maintain surgical masks and sanitizers for you. This will help protect you from the transmission of germs and reduce the likelihood that you will get ill.
Some Great Pointers
Aside from your clothing and personal goods, here are some more things that you might want to think about taking with you: A day pack or other compact backpack, suitable for outings lasting just one day A modest padlock for use in dormitory lockers. Activities that do not need the use of electronics, such as a magazine, a pack of cards, and a few crossword or Sudoku puzzles, can keep you occupied in situations when you do not have access to power.
- Charger, battery, and an SD card for the camera
- E-readers, such as Kindle
- Products for women and methods of birth control
- Supplies essential to academic work, such as a notepad, pens, and a highlighter
- Use a journal to track your thoughts or chronicle your journey.
- We highly recommend that you buy the following guides for a better understanding of the overall trends in Spain.
- Guide to travel to Barcelona
- Guide to travel to Madrid
- Multiple City Guides
In a nutshell
Remember to pack thoughtfully, both in terms of what you carry with you and what you leave behind for when you want to go back, and allow some extra room in your luggage for everything you’ll be carrying back when you go home.
It might be beneficial for your psychological and spiritual health to take a few things from home that are unnecessary to you to smooth the adjustment into life in a new country. People, things, and even sports leagues that are significant to you don’t have to be entirely cut off from your life in a new nation, but you can’t attempt to bring your whole existence with you. Therefore, please use what you’re passionate about to meet individuals who share your interests and educate them using what you’ve learned. They will make you feel at home.
I spent a fall semester in Valencia
Finding the Valencia program was fate. I still feel like it's a rare, undiscovered secret that only I was privileged enough to explore and call home. It fulfilled a combination of desires for me. I knew I wanted to learn Spanish, and had boiled it down to Spain because unlike South or Central America, I'd have access to traveling throughout Europe and North Africa.
From there, I realized I wanted a city of a decent size. Madrid and Barcelona were the other two Spanish cities for which programs were offered. I'd been to Madrid and enjoyed it very much, but I didn't like that it was so far inland. I heard Barcelona was amazing, but its main language was Catalan.
Then I came across Valencia, Spain's third largest city, located east on the Mediterranean coast. With about 800,000 people, it was an ideal size for being able to experience that large metropolitan vibe while still being able to run into familiar neighborhood faces. Valencia is also the birthplace of paella, and boasted some of Spain's best cuisine (in my humble opinion)
I knew I wanted to learn Spanish
The littoral outlet for well-heeled Deià, a village that has been home to Mick Jagger, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Richard Branson and poet Robert Graves who is buried there, Cala Deià may be small (200m wide), far from sandy beaches but the water is crystal clear, the rocky outcrops imposing and the atmosphere convivial.
A mixture between the fresh caught seafood from the adjacent sea and the best rice dishes, as well as the sweet delectables like buñuelos and the sugary almond treat turron.
But dessert for me tended to be fruit, as I took advantage of the region's incredible bounty (the Valencia orange being one of the most delicious fruits I've ever had -- that perfect balance between sweetness and citrus acidity).
My plans for the near future
As of now, I am set to graduate in June from CUNY Hunter College with a bachelor's degree in Media Studies. I've already made plans, while not yet fully developed, to take some time off after undergrad and return to Spain.
I am going to try and find a job or internship somewhere in the vast field of media. My mind's run agog with possibilities: finding a job or internship, teaching English, or even enrolling in a Spanish university for graduate school. In a perfect world, I would be a foreign correspondent based in Madrid for The New York Times. favourite beach, Cala Deià, can be found here, one of the most bewitching inlets on Mallorca’s entire coastline with the clientele to match.
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