Tag Archives: packing

Dispelling the myths of solo travel: the Trek America trip that changed my life

29 Aug

I’d been living in South Carolina on my study abroad exchange year and was about to leave the East coast for the first time. I’d decided to end my year abroad in the familiar South with a Trek America trip exploring the West coast, and the time had finally come to start making preparations for my Western adventure

It was time to swap the life I'd made for myself in South Carolina for a plunge into the unknown...

It was time to swap the life I’d made for myself in South Carolina for a plunge into the unknown…

In the final days before I set off for California, Arizona and Nevada, I went into over-drive. I bought mini scissors, nail files and plasters. Antiseptic liquid, Savlon and a giant tub of painkillers. Not to mention travel-sickness pills, hay-fever tablets, Gaviscon, Dioralyte and Bongela. I bought snap hooks and bungee cords for my bag, a highly-necessary camping seat and almost every travel-sized item on sale at my local pharmacy.

I thought that stocking up for the travel apocalypse would prepare me for anything. Downsizing one thing and compartmentalising another was all part of managing the anxieties I had about travelling around the West Coast with a group of people I’d never met. 

On the first morning of the trip we gathered at 7am in our hotel lobby and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the overwhelming majority of the group had also booked the trip alone. I was about to start exploring Western America with a group of like-minded Brits, Danes, Swedes, Austrians and Koreans who wanted to see the world and learn about other cultures just as much as I did. 

We spent our first day riding bikes around San Diego

We spent our first day riding bikes around San Diego

Our first road trip from LA to San Diego was spent having enthusiastic and curious chats with each other about our respective home countries. By the time we arrived at Mission Beach, I’d learned about the trials of being a woman in the Danish military, what it’s like to slaughter a chicken for dinner in Kenya, the experience of being an Austrian au pair in Washington DC and how to say ‘Hello, my name is Eveie’ in Korean. The minivan was brimming with interesting conversation and stories from all over the world that made me buzz with anticipation for the two weeks ahead. 

#roadtripselfie

#roadtripselfie

The group only grew closer with every new experience we shared. By day two we were sharing supplies, by day three we all had nicknames for each other, by day six we were having singing sessions in the mini-van and by day eight we’d had our first hilariously blurry night out together in Vegas. Any cultural differences that set us apart were quickly overcome by the wealth of new experiences that we were discovering together each day.

It’s safe to say that when you cook, eat, sleep and travel with a group of people you’ve just met, you don’t remain strangers to each other for very long. It was a good job, too, because while we were road-tripping through the Arizona desert, I caught a vicious stomach bug that none of the medication I’d brought with me could have cured. 

6 hours of road, a plastic bag, and a bad case of gastroenteritis make for a toxic mix

6 hours of road, a plastic bag, and a bad case of gastroenteritis make for a toxic mix

After an entire afternoon launching myself out of the minibus to vomit on yet another helpless Joshua Tree, we arrived in Lake Havasu, Arizona. The sun was setting over the stunning lake and casting an orange glow around the campsite. Weak, exhausted, and pretty delirious, I got out the van and curled up in a ball on the grass. 

Eating that last fateful turkey sandwich with the group, before it all went downhill...

Eating that last fateful turkey sandwich with the group, before it all went downhill…

When I opened my eyes the group had put my sleeping bag over me, brought me a bottle of water and set up my tent. They’d set aside some food in case I got hungry and dug out the paracetamol from the bottom of my rucksack. I’d started to worry that they’d never come near me again after being sick in such a confined space all afternoon, but the gang went out of their way to put me at ease and look out for me when I found myself seriously ill so far away from home. 

I’m not sharing my run-in with gastroenteritis as a cautionary tale. Anyone can catch a stomach bug whether they’re at home, on the road, travelling alone or travelling with friends. I’m sharing my nauseating story because it’s a great example of the unspoken understanding that occurs between solo travellers. It’s a kind of team spirit and a commonality that says, ‘We’re all in this together.’

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Playing beer bowling at the campsite in Yosemite National Park

By the end of the trip, we’d become so comfortable in each others’ company that my initial pre-departure anxieties seemed like a million miles away. We’d carried each others’ rucksacks when we got tired, we never moaned about camp duties and we’d created a new Facebook group to keep in touch before we said some painful goodbyes.  

Riding in the Party Bus in Vegas

Riding in the Party Bus in Vegas

American philosopher John Dewey once said, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” It wasn’t until I returned home from my Trek America tour and began to reflect on my travels that I realised just how much the experience had changed me. 

On returning home I started to notice that my social habits had changed. Having learned new things about each of my Trekmates every day of the trip, I’ve come to realise that every person has a unique story sitting below the surface. I’ve become a more inquisitive conversationalist (and journalist) who loves meeting new people and learning about a different life perspective.

Cuddles with Penn & Teller

Cuddles with Penn & Teller

Spending 11 nights camping in American deserts and national parks has also made me less fussy. I’ve become less preoccupied with all the little, insignificant things like what to wear, whether to wear make-up and how many calories are in my food, and more bothered about the bigger things in life, like keeping in touch with old friends, making time for people and keeping my phone tucked away in my handbag when I go to dinner. It’s safe to say that being accepted by a group of people after I’d thrown up in front of them, multiple times, in the middle of the Arizona desert, gave me a kind of inner confidence to know that despite everything, I must be kind of okay… 

The best view I've ever seen in my life, in Yosemite

Enjoying the best view I’ve ever seen in my life, in Yosemite

Finally, being on a Trek tour has brought out a get-up-and-go approach to life that I never knew I had. Having travelled through three states in two weeks with 13 new people, I’ve realised that the best experiences in life are the ones that test you, challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone. I thought I’d be returning home yearning for familiar home comforts- but the Westerner 2 tour has left me feeling open to change and longing for yet more new experiences.

Travelling around some of America’s most renowned tourist destinations- the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National park and Las Vegas to name a few- is a huge excursion in itself. Committing to that trip with a bunch of strangers I’d never met felt even bigger. When it turned out to be straightforward, uncomplicated, safe, secure and of course, the trip of a lifetime, I was overjoyed. But I was utterly ecstatic that I’d departed for the West Coast expecting to gain new life experiences, and ended up gaining 13 hilarious, fun, and interesting new friends along the way. 

I arrived home after a year in America feeling accomplished and confident, with a million stories to tell

The ultimate to-do list for outgoing study abroad students

14 Jun

When I found out I’d been accepted to study at the University of South Carolina, all I wanted to do was find out about all the crazy, diverse and eye-opening opportunities I’d be able to get my hands on once I arrived. But standing in the way of all that excitement was a whirlwind of stress, in the form of visa requirements, bank transfers, phone calls, appointments with the study abroad office, and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. It’s the first time in my life I’d seriously considered hiring a PA. I just wished I had a comprehensive checklist of all the things I had to do before that nerve-racking departure came creeping up behind me. Without further ado, here’s my attempt to provide exactly that for those of you lucky enough to have the adventure of your lives ahead of you. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 18.21.32

  1. Book a visa appointment at your local embassy. If you’re studying abroad in a country that requires a visa, make booking your visa appointment over the summer holidays a top priority as the slots fill up fast. If possible, try and get a morning slot, as it means the waiting times in the embassy are likely to be shorter and backlog free.
  2. Unlock your phone. Go into your local network provider’s shop and request to unlock your handset for a small fee. It means that once you arrive in your host country, you will be able to buy and use a new sim card in your old device without having to fork out for a new phone.
  3. Keep receipts for major items that you’ll be taking abroad. If any of these items get lost, damaged or stolen during your time abroad, you’ll be able to claim for them on your insurance policy without having to worry about finding proof of purchase.
  4. Buy travel and health insurance. At some host universities, you are required to purchase the university insurance that is often expensive (USC’s insurance was over $800 a semester), but in most cases you are eligible to waive the policy and purchase your own. Start this process as soon as possible as it can be paperwork and email-intensive.
  5. Request a copy of your medical and vaccination history from your local doctor’s for a small fee. Most host universities require this in order to fully accept your place abroad. Don’t forget to get all outstanding jabs if required, too.
  6. If your study abroad year is not compulsory, submit your change of degree programme form to your parent school. Once I had been accepted to study abroad, my degree title changed from ‘English and History’ to ‘International English and History’, and my parent school needed to know in order to revise my graduation date.
  7. Notify student finance services that you are studying abroad so that you will have those all-important funds for the next year. With all those weekend trips ahead of you, you’ll need it. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 18.22.48
  8. Enrol for modules at your host institution. If your year is on a pass/fail basis, think about trying something new while you have the freedom to do so without being penalized. Humanities students- it looks especially impressive on your CV if you choose to study something related to your host country or new local area.
  9. Let your bank know that you’re going abroad.
  10. If you already haven’t, get internet banking. It makes life a whole lot easier to manage and transfer funds when you’re on the other side of the world.
  11. If you don’t have a credit or debit card that will work free of charge while abroad, get a currency card. You can get these from travel agencies like Thomas Cook, and they allow you to load a temporary card with as much $$$ as you like, to tide you over until you get a bank account in your host institution.
  12. If there is a networking event at your home institution- GO TO IT. I met all of the other Leeds students studying at USC when I went to mine, and we remained friends for the whole year.
  13. Sort out accommodation in your host country. If you are going to be automatically enrolled for housing in university halls, start thinking about whether you’d like to be on campus, and whether you’d like a roommate. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 20.00.04
  14. Submit disability and health forms. If you have any major disability or health complications your host institution must know about this ASAP.
  15. Find out about student counseling services at your host institution. Should anything untoward happen, or you receive bad news from home while you’re abroad, you’ll know where to go if you need extra support.
  16. Look into bursaries, scholarships and competitions that offer money for outgoing study abroad students. From the perspective of an ex-study abroad student who has just come home to depleted funds, take my word that you’ll be glad for all the financial help you can get.
  17. Check your passport validity.
  18. Book your outgoing flight. If you can avoid it, don’t book your return flight for the end of the semester or the year. If you do, you’ll be consigned to a definite end date when many of your new friends will be making exciting travel plans. In addition, consider flying over a couple of days earlier than your move-in date and staying in a hotel. This is useful if you’d like some time to recover from jetlag and open a bank account overseas before orientation sessions begin.
  19. Check baggage allowance. If you are going for the year and would like to take two suitcases, an extra one usually costs around £80-£100.
  20. Take your railcard, bus passes, Oyster card and any other travel passes with you. You might need these when travelling home for Christmas, or at the end of the year.
  21. Get to know your study abroad mentor from your host institution over the phone or via email. Getting to know a real person on the other side of the world who is there to help with the transition is an indispensable way to reduce pre-departure anxieties.
  22. Register with your home university. Even though you’re going abroad, you still need to renew your registration for the upcoming year at home.
  23. Pay outstanding library fines. You’ll be depressed enough coming home at the end of the year without having to come home to library debts.
  24. Collect and print evidence of your return home. Many embassies and airport authorities like to see (and require) evidence that you will be returning home at the end of the year. This could be job forms, your registration certificate from university or anything that states you won’t be graduating for another year.
  25. Scan all paperwork and print 2 copies. Leave one set with someone you trust at home, and take the other set with you.
  26. If you are going to America, and like drinking tea, take a box of teabags with you. The strongest tea you’re going to find out there is Twinings, and that’s practically tea-flavoured milkshake. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 18.22.39
  27. Download the app ‘1 Second Everyday’ and document your time abroad. Every second will be unforgettable, and you’ll want to re-live the experience when you return home.
  28. Start a blog. It’s a cathartic way to document your study abroad experience and the perfect opportunity to enhance your CV. Blog about your fears, hopes and expectations. Blog about the locals. Blog about sorority life. Blog about culture, art and about people. Blog about blogging if you have to.
  29. Think about what you want from the year. Some people see the year as an opportunity to work as little as possible, and party HARD. Others see it as a chance to radically transform their CVs, integrate within a new culture, enhance global employability, and get involved with extra-curricular life. What will you regret not doing the most? Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 19.57.23
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