One skill that I would definitely recommend anyone to work on for traveling abroad, is one’s ability to go with the flow and problem-solve. From being here for the past month and a half I have learned that almost nothing goes to plan. This is just a fact of life. Thankfully, I do my best to go with the flow, to begin with, but my will has been tested on this journey.

Almost every weekend of my travels something has gone awry. Whether it’s a plane being canceled, not being able to get somewhere because of strikes or riots, or unpredicted COVID scares, all require problem-solving of some sort.

It has always been hard for me to handle problems head-on and in the moment. I very much shove it under the bed and never think about it again. This tactic is almost impossible abroad, likely in life as well. Here I have been learning that the fun moments are when things don’t work out. I have found myself excited for something to go wrong because it brings the most surprises. Do not get me wrong, when everything goes right, it is absolutely amazing, but that is not always the case.

This past weekend I traveled to Budapest (it was absolutely amazing to make this a stop on your list). Within this three-day vacation, I missed one bus due to a strike, missed my connection flight and was “stuck” in Paris (can you ever be upset about being stuck in Paris?), missed a city tour, and took the wrong train to the airport. These things happen! Thankfully, I had someone else with me to help endure these kerfuffles. My patience and go-with-the-flow attitude was aided by someone else’s patience and go-with-the-flow attitude.

We utilized the resources given to us by the people around us and utilized our best problem-solving skills. Worse things could have happened and I am sure luck played into the weekend as well, but our attitudes saved us from seeing the weekend as a failure. Studying abroad seems like it is a long amount of time, but once you are here it feels so short. Every experience is extremely rewarding and results in a new lesson. These moments should be cherished and all growth should be celebrated!

Studying abroad is definitely scary and trying at some/most points, but it has produced some of the best connections and experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to find at home. Each day I am here I learn so much about myself. One does not have to go with the flow to study abroad, but it will most definitely come in handy in stressful situations.

P.S. Go to Budapest, you won’t regret it

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