Study Abroad Commandments

The 10 Suggestions

A guideline for my study abroad experience.

1) Get lost.
It's bound to happen anyway, but instead of getting upset or immediately asking for directions, stroll around. Take in the surroundings. Go into a bar you see that strikes your interest. Some of my most fun experiences have been when we've gone off of the beaten trail. That's where you find some of the best kept secrets.

2) Strike up a conversation with a total stranger.
One of the best parts of going out is meeting someone new. Every time we go to a club we meet someone interesting. Tommy, the Vietnamese student who was preparing to study in the UK, two Slovakian girls who still consider Prague their capital city, a Russian who's concerned that Americans don't like any Russians (don't worry, we set her straight), and a Latvian girl who wears the coolest mustache necklaces! So many interesting people that I never would have spoken to had I not had the courage to start a conversation.

3) Try a food that is totally new.
If you go to a country where they don't speak your language, this is a given. But, even if you find something you like, you should make a point not to order it twice in a row! You could be missing out on so much great cuisine, and that, my friend, would be a true tragedy.

4) Buy a pastry from the grocery store, and walk around town eating it.
This is just plain fun. You get to eat something delicious, and it makes you feel very European. If you're feeling really crazy, fake a French accent.

5) Invite a new friend to the club.
Something about trying a new drink and giggling about someone's crazy pink corduroy pants or some girl's risque dance moves just brings people closer together! Also, when there's so many people on the dance floor, you don't really have an option but to pretend that you like each other!

6) Ask a local about the do's and dont's.
I still need to do more of this. The other day when we were at a pub the only open table still had some empty glasses on it. We went and sat down so no one else would take the table and figured the waitress would come and wipe the table off for us. (I can't even count the amount of time's I've done this at home.) We were greeted by a sassy waitress with her arms folded over her chest saying, "Can't you see the table's dirty?" And we said, "Yeah, but it's empty. Would you like us to leave?" To which she responded in an angry voice, "Why would you sit down if you see the table's dirty?" Tired of the Czech "customer service" I responded, "If you want us to leave and buy beer somewhere else, we will." I went to stand up and she sighed saying, "No, no, you can stay." Now I'm wondering if we made a faux pas by sitting at a dirty table. I'm going to Czech in with a Czech about that! (Ha, more great humor.)

7) Never spend a whole day without doing something new.
Five months. Five months to change my life. Five months in a foreign country where many people simply dream of going. Don't let your expensive plane ticket go to waste! Make an honest effort to have an adventure every single day. I know for a fact that an adventure is just around the corner, you just have to find it!

8) When you're feeling homesick, call your family.
You're going to feel homesick. I feel homesick a lot. It happens when someone doesn't understand what I'm trying to say, or when you just want biscuits and gravy, and the "gravy" ends up being hollandaise, or when you just want to go home and give someone a "Tucker hug." Family is too important to ignore even when you're halfway around the world. Speaking of that, I love all my family. <3

9) Spend a whole day without your cell phone/laptop/iPod.
For me, this would be a struggle. The truth is much of the time technology ends up being a distraction instead of a tool. Instead of playing a game of Candy Crush on the bus ride, look out the windows and take in your surroundings! Listen to that crazy, drunk, homeless man with the crazy hair ramble on in another language. After a while, Candy Crush becomes less interesting compared to real life.

10) Smile.
Studying abroad has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done. There have been really hard times, and there have been times where I am overwhelmed with my blessings. Despite what's happened to me, I am alive, I'm healthy, and I am truly on the adventure of a lifetime. That's reason enough to smile.

If anyone has anything to add, leave a comment!
Thanks for reading! :)