Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

As a returning college student, you become quite familiar with a specific interrogative phrase. It gets thrown around like a baseball at a no-hitter game. This fall, I have concluded that I essentially have 100% answer insurance when it comes to this question. And although some tend to hate it, I have grown to love it. 

“How was your summer, Grace? What did you do?”  

“Oh, you know. I went to Italy for 5 weeks on a study abroad.”  

Yes, I am aware that you are most likely rolling your eyes at me right now. Expecting me to flaunt my adventures and experiences touring Southern Italy and traveling Europe. That would be a fair reaction.

I am going to let you in on a little secret though. Yes, my summer was beautiful and amazing. Every day I wish to go back to the tiny town of Sorrento I found a sense of “home” in. Although, my summer abroad was not the typical Euro summer you see all over Instagram and Tik Tok.  

Despite my glitzy and glamorous posts online, I had my fair share of trials, tribulations, and lessons to be learned. After over 90 total hours of travel time (more than half of which being completely unplanned for), sleeping a night on the floor in the Rome airport, an unexpected stop in Brussels, Belgium (who would have thought I’d end up there), almost getting robbed on the Metro in Paris, and walking to a McDonald’s in Dublin after missing our flight back to the States, I’ve learned quite a few things about travelling abroad. So, without further ado, here are my top tips for travelling overseas.  

Tip #1: Have a travel-safe, anti-theft bag or purse.  

Luckily for me, Sorrento was a very safe city to spend most of my time in. There was never a time I felt like my safety was being jeopardized. This was until I was on the Metro in Paris with a group of friends. Paris has quite a reputation for becoming precarious and unpredictable once the sun goes down. That fact became quite apparent to us on our walk back to the train station after watching the Eiffel tower light show. A lot of times, pickpockets will get to work when they spot an unsuspecting person with loose zippers. Having anti-theft travel bags can help keep your belongings safe and ward off thieves.  

Tip #2: ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF! 

Not once, not twice, but THREE times did I find myself (over the span of my 5-week trip) standing in the airport customer service line, hoping to find a solution for various cancellations, hours-long delays, and many missed flights. Through hours spent in the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport waiting to rebook our flight to Paris during the infamous Microsoft IT crash, I learned several notes about patience and advocating for your needs. If you do ever find yourself in this situation, please stay calm. Everything will be okay. I promise. Work with the booking agents to figure out the best plan for you. Also, be aware of your traveler’s rights! Many countries in the EU have strict laws that protect passengers from delays, cancelations, enforced class/seat downgrades and being denied boarding. 

Tip #3: Make the best of the situation you are in.  

No, I did not plan for my summer to include over 90 hours of travel time across five weeks, being stuck in airports, taking unexpected stops in random cities, or sleeping in so many random places. Actually, I have found that I am crying laughing while writing this piece and recalling all the crazy events that did occur. I would not change it for the world. Without all the unhinged, chaotic experiences, I would have never seen a city like Brussels, Belgium. I would have never enjoyed an overpriced, yet delicious French lunch in the Charles de Gaulle Airport over the company of my equally sleepy-eyed travel buddy, Ryan. I would have never tried an Irish Oreo Mcflurry in Dublin, and I would have never made life-long friends over Italian potato chips at 4 am on the floor of the Rome Airport. This summer, I lived and I laughed. I experienced so much of the world. Although not much of it went as I had planned, that is the beauty of international travel.  

There is a phrase in French; “la vie en rose.” It translates directly to “life in pink,” but non-directly means living life through rose colored glasses. Literally and figuratively, looking at life through rose colored glasses makes everything seem more beautiful and vibrant. This old idiom is all about having an optimistic, cheerful mindset, and there’s a reason why it can dramatically improve how we spend our time. In my time traveling abroad, I found that we can find peace in “la vie en rose,” even when life and its plans go awry.  

Grace Hodara is a sophomore Journalism major from Salamanca, New York. Outside of her studies, she is involved with Study Sorrento SBU, Jandoli Women in Communication, and SBU Women’s Club Lacrosse. You can find Grace playing some kind of sport (usually lacrosse or soccer), watching Bills games, listening to music (her music taste is perfectly summed up by that picture of Taylor Swift and 21 Savage at the 2024 Grammys), or traveling (being home for more than 2 weeks at a time is not exactly her strong-suit). She is an avid reader and writer, and is excited to continue working with Her Campus SBU!