Before coming here, I would not have called myself an organized person. I have a lot of great qualities, guys, but that’s not one I would have listed.
Now, however, I have an intricate Excel spreadsheet that I use to track and label all my purchases. What’s happened to make this heel-faced turn?
Just studying abroad. I don’t want to deter anyone, because it really is very manageable, but when you start traversing Europe, moving from countries that use the euro to countries that use the pound and back and trying to budget it all with American dollars in mind, money gets a tad more complicated.
It’s okay though! You adapt. You learn things. You learn to memorize the conversion rate from euros to dollars (it’s 1.12 right now, by the way). You learn to start keeping a spreadsheet because travel is expensive and Europe is expensive and conversion rates can sometimes make your mind bleed.
Don’t be overwhelmed. Go into your time abroad with a clear budget, understand that you’ll probably break it a little, and just make sure you’re keeping an eye on things. A study abroad semester is probably not going to be your cheapest, but I’ve found that by putting a little more effort towards organization than I do in the states, I can have a great time and remain in control.
There’s the classic saying: pay for experiences, not things. I think it’s a matter of priority. Some people on my trip are having a fun time collecting special mementos from different locations, and I’m not going to knock that. However, I have negative space in my suitcase to put things and a lot of experiences I want to spend money on, so for me, the souvenirs haven’t topped the list. In two and a half months and nine countries, I think I’ve bought a coaster, a bookmark, some collectable tea, and a wine stopper. Also, I sometimes steal disposable coasters from restaurants, because I’m a bad person.
For me, the urge to have trinkets to remember locations by is outweighed by the urge to eat and drink. It’s really that simple. I can get a magnet, or I can get gelato. Some people want a magnet. That’s okay! Do what make you happy. Gelato makes me happy.
In terms of more necessary purchases, buying products in a German speaking country is always a fun adventure full of unexpected twists. Just yesterday I headed to DM, Salzburg’s closest equivalent to CVS, on a quest for face moisturizer. I found a section of the store, which looked, to my untrained eye, like face products, but found nothing that looked like lotion. I then turned to the lotions, where I found one brand clearly labeled body lotion, but everything else appeared to be shampoo or was indecipherable. I finally gave up and asked a couple who luckily spoke English, and they were kind enough to direct me to a small box of face moisturizer that I would never have found on my own. When it comes to being in a foreign country, you’re going to have to learn to ask stranger for help sometimes. It’s a great way to have interactions with locals, and it will save you from applying shampoo to your face!
