Surviving a semester abroad is no easy feat. You're separated from your family. You're in a new environment. Nobody speaks your language. In general you're in a pretty uncomfortable situation. Trust me I know. As a military brat my life has been uprooted multiple times and I was constantly forced into new environments that made me feel uncomfortable but because of that lifestyle I now consider myself a bit of a pro. I seek out new things and if I stay in one place too long surrounded by the same people, I get the travel bug. But, not everybody has lived that lifestyle so here are some tips to help you acclimate to your new home during your semester abroad!

Tip 1: Call home often. Okay maybe not too often, you don't want to annoy your family. But set a day, maybe once a week, to call your parents, siblings, your significant other or your best friend. They'll keep you grounded and will listen to you vent about struggling to figure out whether the you picked up fabric softener or laundry detergent at the Italian supermarket. 

Tip 2: Learn some of the language. Communication is key, of course we hear this mainly used for relationships but this is also true for studying abroad. Learning some of the language beyond the niceties of "Hello" and "Thank You" can only benefit you when you're in country that doesn't speak your language. You'll feel more comfortable in sticky situations where you may be lost and need some help or for asking where they keep the vanilla extract. 

Tip 3: Explore. You're already out of your comfort might as well push yourself even further and see where you might end up. Exploring will familiarize your self with your new environment and by the end of the semester you'll basically feel like a local complaining about how many tourists there are. But, also explore outside of your city and embrace being outside of your country and the newness of the whole experience! Bonus tip exploring and traveling will help ease your home sickness.

Tip 4: Keep A Journal. Record your experiences, your feelings, what you did that day. Many people study abroad to find themselves. They go abroad, push themselves out of their comfort zones to truly figure out who they are outside of their home environment. But, how are you gonna know who you are when you don't even really know how you feel or can thoroughly process your experiences. Keeping a journal helps you elaborate that inner conversation we all have in our heads so that we can truly figure out who we are. It's also really cool to look back on that journal once you leave and see all the personal growing and traveling that you have done.

Tip 5: Save Money. Apply for scholarships, make a gofundme, get a summer job. The very last thing you want to worry about when you get abroad is money. Of course, be smart with your money, keep a budget and be frugal while your there. But, you don't want to be stressing about whether or not you can go on that cool trip with your friends, or whether or not you can go out to a nicer restaurant. You are there to live your best life, not stress about whether you want to spend money on having a decent meal or buy a ticket to climb the Tower of Pisa. 

I hope these tips helped, and Happy Travels!

My first school project of this semester. Gosh, this seems so long ago. 

My inspiration for the garment I created came from the Bikkhu or Male buddhist garments. They often wear loose fitting clothes so that they are indistinguishable and don't really stand out. The garments are also often asymmetrical and have beautiful knots often holding their robes all together. 

I combined these elements and then tried to make it my own by making it more feminine and fashion forward.