Remembering your Study Abroad: 4 Ways to Document the Experience
Written by Kevin March 10, 2016
Found the Amsterdam Letters!
Sky Diving in Spain/France
Phillipe travels to Florence
Crepe from Amsterdam
Holocaust Memorial in Berlin
Beach in Barcelona
Studying abroad flies by. I am pretty sure I have mentioned this in every one of my posts, but it just continues to fly by; there are so many fun trips, incredible cities, and unforgettable experiences that they all seem to blend into one awesome city or weekend. In the last 10 days I have been to four countries, that all seem to blend into one awesome place maybe we call it BerAmsterLonaTaly. (For the records, that’s Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Italy.) Instead of continuing to make up fake cities and other than the obvious taking pictures method, here are a few other ways to document this trip of a lifetime.
- Collect Something
This is what I have been doing. I have bought postcards from all but two cities that I have been to, one was Verona which was my first trip and I had not decided to do this yet, and the other was Berlin, where they don’t sell postcards in the airport (just a tip for anyone else who procrastinates and is collecting postcards). I am planning on making (well – having my sister make) a poster with all the postcards so that I can remember everywhere that I went. It doesn’t have to be postcards – it can be magnets, shot glasses, coasters, really anything small that can be carried onto a plane works! I also have been saving some of my plane tickets and train tickets I have used, now I might just end up throwing these all away but maybe I can be creative enough to do something cool with it when I get back.
- Take Phillipe with you
Now this one is my favorite and I really wish that I did it. Let me explain, one of my friends, Claire (your welcome for the shout out Claire), has been taking a little horse with her to every city, named Phillipe. What she does is take picture of Phillipe in front of the major landmarks of the cities that she goes to. I really like this idea, 1) because Phillipe is the perfect name for the horse, and 2) it’s really original and is a great way to remember the experience. I am not sure what Claire is planning on doing with the pictures as she was unavailable for comment when I wrote this post, but I am excited to see all the places she and Phillipe have been.
- Blog
This isn’t a very creative one but it is really a great way to remember even the smaller details of the trip. I have been writing in the notes on my phone on the way home from my trips, not too much but enough to really remember the small details from each of the cities I went to. It doesn’t take time, but it’s fun to even look back and read about my trips from earlier in the semester, I can only imagine how great it will be to look back in a few months or years, pending that I do not lose my phone *knocks on wood*
- New Social Media Account
Some people have done this and I really like it, I know a few people who have created new Twitter or Instagram accounts just for their study abroad. This is a good place to post a bunch of pictures with captions or tweets, without bombarding or annoying your followers from back home. It is a good way to share your picture with your family and friends as well so that they can see what you are up to. It also can be something to do with a group of friends – you all can have access and it’s an easy way to share good pictures with each other.
Blogger: Kevin, Clemson University
