I don’t have many regrets from college.

I don’t regret that “B” I got in English my sophomore year because I opted to go to a date party instead of the library. I don’t regret hooking up with a good friend, even if it turned out horribly ugly in the end. I don’t even regret catching a terrible cold that lasted 3 weeks after wrestling in Jell-O in the middle of October…in Michigan.

But if there is one thing I do regret from my years of undergrad it is that I never went abroad.

When my friends first started discussing going abroad for Junior year I was wary. Living in another country sounded interesting, but I was worried about being half way around the world for such a long time. I would miss my family. I would miss my friends. I would definitely miss late night pizza in Ann Arbor.

My friends moved forward, signed up to study in Australia and I opted out in favor of more time in good ole’ Michigan.

And I didn’t regret my decision…then. I had a great time! While it seemed like everyone I knew was going to be abroad, I ended up having tons of friends stick around Michigan with me. We all got a ton closer, I got more active in things around campus, I had an awesome spring break and it was a really fun semester (turning 21 helped, obviously). So what if my friends were off in Australia learning how to surf, camping in the rainforest or travelling through East Asia on their way home? Ann Arbor was just as great.

Then I graduated, got a job and realized that I only get 2 weeks of vacation time a year. Not nearly enough time for me to settle into another country, experience other cultures or see the world.

And the regret sunk in. Read More »

One of the great things about college today is the opportunity to travel.

No matter what school you go to, it will most likely have some sort of abroad program. Or, if yours doesn’t, look into going with another school and transferring the credits. And seriously, what other time in your life will it be acceptable to take months off and travel the world?

Take it from someone who has recently joined the 9-5er workforce and regrets that she did not take advantage of the traveling opportunities available in college. So, for those brave and adventurous souls preparing to travel, there is one aspect that you may not have thought too much about in the midst of getting your passport, figuing out living arrangements, etc. That small, but important, detail being how to stay healthy while abroad. For example, the last thing you want to do is contract a UTI while traveling in a country with a lack of public restrooms, and have no medication on hand…

Lucky for you, CNN provides a great article from Health magazine on how to avoid health problems while overseas by taking preventive steps before and also what to do once you’re there. Read More »