If you’re considering moving abroad, whether temporarily, permanently, or “however-arily”, there are definitive ways to help ease the transition. I can tell you by the size of my Facebook inbox and e-mails every week, moving abroad seems to be the new “American Dream” and every day I answer messages helping people initiate the process, so I thought I’d write this to archive some of the best advice I’ve given out to others.

Of course, I can only speak from my own experience, and there are so many “if I knew then what I know now” moments, but I think a lot of these will be useful to you guys and I’d be selfish not to share. Everything from how to open a bank account to flirting in a foreign language (the essentials, basically) are things you can learn once you get here. But below are things to consider before your arrival. So without further ado, here are 7 things you absolutely MUST consider before packing your bags and booking a one-way (the fun way) abroad.

1. 1.LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
   

One thing you’ll come to appreciate about Europeans is their ability to speak more than one language, fluently at that. And occasionally, you’ll meet the modern-day Superman who can speak about five or six. It’s truly remarkable. Learning another language will

help open doors of opportunities you can land while abroad, and of course lead to great conversations with locals. With Spanish for example, if I’d given it a serious go in high school, and maybe watched five more episodes of Dora the Explorer, who knows how much more fluent I’d be. I’ll tell you - lots. Coming here and immersing myself in the culture is arguably the best way to learn a language, but you will do yourself a favor if you can be halfway fluent upon arrival!

2. 2.GET YOUR PHONE UNLOCKED
   

I was skeptical about this at first, because I was with AT&T in America and had awesome customer service from my English teacher’s son (what up J.T!), so I didn’t want to “go against the book” and mess with the system. Come to find out, there’s actually nothing wrong with this process and you’ll save SO much money if you see yourself being abroad for at least a year. I got my phone unlocked in England for about $20 (a one-time fee), and was able to get a British SIM card put in my phone so that I could still use my

Galaxy S4 as my main phone and not have two devices, like a Flinstone-aged pay-as-you-go phone, that most tourists often resort to. Now, living in Spain, I’ve recently got a new Spanish SIM card, for a whopping €10 and BOOM, I’m good to go. Without an unlocked phone, you’re looking at triple-digit costs in obtaining a number to work with your phone or having to buy a new phone and contract altogether. Extra tip: If you’re going to be living in the UK, I absolutely recommend the Three network/service. My phone bill was just upwards of 15 bucks a month (which my employer paid for), but the best part is it included UNLIMITED data. I maybe used 20 of my 5,000 texts and about 10 seconds of my 2,000 minutes every month, because nobody loves me enough to call me and I hate awkward phone convos. Win-win, yeah? Unlimited data packages are usually rare and expensive, so when you find a good one, hang on to that bad boy!

3. 3.CHANGE YOUR SPENDING HABITS
   

There are certain things called “comfort items” that we spend money on in the states. These “luxuries” add up and fade just as quick as a $50 meal exits your bowels in a couple hours. Instead of always splurging on those expensive shoes and that Michael Kors watch that

you absolutely must have to show your financial status on social media, consider for a moment that buying experiences rather than “stuff” will be far more valuable in the future. At the end of the day, our graves will all look the same and nothing goes with you when you’re 6 feet under. Invest in essentials and things that truly matter and you’ll realize that saving for that trip to London that sounded like a one-year ordeal, will only take a few months when you make the right changes in your spending.

4. 4.INVEST MORE TIME IN DOING WHAT YOU LOVE
   

This one is something I preach day in and day out. What good is your time if you’re not spending it doing something fulfilling or something that makes you happy? I understand bills need to be paid, but little by little, give yourself the time you deserve to learn more about what you love and how to perfect your craft. If I never spent the 75% of my Freshmen year having late night rendezvous in the library to have sexy dates with the 21-inch Macs with all the applications a graphic/web designer could dream of, I would

have never taught myself how to build websites or design. Small, humble steps of research, Google, and YouTube tutorials 5 years ago, and now I never have to worry about ever contracting a person to build a website or design something for me because I can do all that by myself. Also, my photography is a self-taught hustle through trial and error that has more than doubled the salary of any regular job I’ve ever had. You’d be surprised how much these skill sets turn into side hustles while you’re abroad. I don’t know a single American in Spain who has only one stream of income. In this day and age, we’d be foolish not to take advantage of our technologically-advanced generation who grew up in a digital age, which has virtually made us walking assets to companies who need the tech-savviness we possess.

5. 5.START A BLOG OR JOURNAL
   

This is for the person who sees themselves being abroad for at least a year or more. I think having a blog is the best way to chronicle this amazing experience you’ll have, as well as share and exchange your journey with the several other expats you’ll meet on your travels. Having a blog also opens doors for local businesses and organizations to partner with you and offer discounts or free perks in exchange for promotion. There are also several ways to monetize your blog if you’re really ambitious. I started this blog as a humble little corner to store my thoughts, and 8 months later, it’s hit almost 40 countries around the world. Baby steps. But damn, those big girl pants look good! Hehe. But if you don’t see yourself wanting to publicize your journey as much, at least buy a diary where you can privately document your thoughts and track your growth. You will thank yourself later.

6. 6.DON’T COME LOOKING FOR LOVE
   

This alone can be a blog by itself. The age-old saying goes that things will come to you the minute you stop looking for it. It’s no secret most girls who’ve gone abroad have coveted the fantasy of finding their Prince Charming with an accent they comprehend

10% of, elope on some exotic island, and then produce the hottest babies known to man. This “happily-ever-after” is actually a “sadly-never-again” because 99.99999% of the time, it will never work out like that. Being abroad doesn’t mean you need to be A BROAD (can we take a moment to see what I did there?). However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with entertaining potential, but the minute you start chasing it, longing for it, and depending on it, you turn into that girl. Don’t be THAT girl. If you met a guy at the same bar all the study abroad students frequent every weekend, then honey, you know this ain’t his first rodeo. Are you falling for the man or falling for the fantasy? Are you meeting his parents or meeting his mattress? Go abroad and let this journey be about finding YOU, not a significant other. You’re welcome in advance.

7. 7.START THE VISA PROCESS VERY EARLY. LIKE, YESTERDAY
   

How do I put this in a way to not scare you? Hmmm... basically the visa process is equivalent to booking a one-way ticket to Hell. There will be tears. Lots of them. Like, enough to help subsidize the California drought. You will find yourself broke halfway through because they find ways to drench you dry of every dollar and coin you’ve ever owned. They then pierce those wounds with confusion that reaches the single fiber of your soul, testing every ounce of sanity you thought you owned. The good thing is, with lots of time, several reads through the fine print, a couple glasses of wine, the blood of a firstborn,

and prayer, you will survive, and when you do, you’ll have stories for days for your grandkids’ grandkids. The most frustrating part of this for me back in December of last year was paying for 2-day expedited service ($150), only to be told they were behind in work and understaffed, so they didn’t end up getting my visa and passport back to me until 3 weeks later. Which meant, yeah that flight I booked for the next week because I was banking on their system conducting themselves accordingly, I had to cancel and re-book, not once, but TWICE. Talk about drilling the pockets! Yeeesh! Don’t want to experience Hell on Earth and instead travel with no visa? No problem! In most Schengen Countries <<< (click to see what this means), you have an allotted 90 days to travel freely before having to fly out of the Schengen zone. 3 months in and 3 months out. This is ideal for the person who wants to save money and travel freely without worrying about obtaining the right papers and shoveling out your life’s savings beforehand. This is a legal thing that many Americans do, and the stamp you get upon arrival from customs, serves as the start date to your 90-day venture in the Schengen zone.

I get told all the time that booking a one-way ticket to Europe is so brave, and while I’m flattered, I don’t want this to give the notion that I’m fearless. Things do get scary and sometimes you feel alone, but bravery isn’t the absence of fear, it’s simply the willingness to carry on despite it.

Keep Calm & Travel On my loves.

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