Pre-Health Summer in Spain recap!!

DO THE THING!! Go to Spain!

    Hello, my name is Haillie, and I am headed into my last semester of Nursing school!!! To all my pre-med and nursing fellow students, if you were looking for a study abroad program, I would HIGHLY recommend this one. I had so many fears going into this: a new country, a different language, and, of course, financial burden. Trust me when I tell you that meeting with Melissa (our study abroad counselor) is the best choice I've ever made. She listened to all my fears and worked with me to find the right program and reassured me about everything. She kept me updated on scholarships and the deadlines. so. MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT!! With that being said, I finally landed on the GlobalEd 2+2 program. This is a 4-week program located in the heart of Seville, Spain. 

Program experience...  

Construction site scenerio

    The first two weeks consisted of in-class and outdoor/training at SAMU, learning everything we need for prehospital trauma life support. We were exposed to almost every single scenario you could imagine. We were crawling through tight tunnels, smoke-filled rooms, climbing up crazy heights, navigating through car wrecks, trains, and even an airplane. The crazy part is that wasn't even everything. They throw you into these scenarios and push you to use quick critical thinking and build solid teamwork and leadership skills. I can confidently say that this experience in just 2 weeks will stick with me forever. 

            *AQUARIUS will be your life saver, trust me* 

    The rest of my time there, I spent shadowing various doctors and nurses throughout the hospital. I even had the opportunity to observe several surgeries! As a last semester nursing student, I will say that these last two weeks felt a little repetitive because there is not a big variety of specialties available for us to explore, and on some days there were little to no patients to see... BUT that doesn't take away from everything I was able to see while there.  

Quick PSA...   

    I will not lie, the first 2 weeks there is a lot of adjusting to the food, time, and the HEAT. I personally spent my first week in and out of pharmacies and losing my voice. It happens. Luckily, the GlobalEd program made sure that you are taken care of. They will go to the pharmacy or hospital with you and help you get what you need. Fun fact: Pharmacies in Spain act almost like a walk-in clinic, and they can give you medications that are usually prescribed by a doctor. It saves so much time, and bonus, medication there is SO SO affordable.

Sneak peek.. 

Me playing a drowning victim

 

 

If you ever wanna pick my brain about my experience there I would love to chat!! You can reach me @hailliethedinosaur on instagram or haillieono@gmail.com!! 

            

                                                                    

    

My Growth in Spain

        As a Bio major with a concentration in Health and Human Sciences, my degree plan includes an internship component in the health field. And ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to study abroad. I don’t think it was even a month after coming to HPU that I was talking with our wonderful Study Abroad director about my academic prospects. I was focused on finding a program that wouldn’t derail my graduation plan and eventually, I caught wind of a program that would satisfy my internship abroad in Sevilla, Spain. 

        Despite dreams of traveling around the world, I had never left the United States before this program. I found myself 12hours away from my life on Oahu in a place whose culture and language I knew little of. Was it terrifying? Absolutely not. I was completely out of my element, sure, but I had nothing but excitement and wanderlust for the next month of my life. Okay. I talked a big game, but the truth is that I was feeling a tiny bit of uncertainty. While I knew what I had signed up for, there was no telling how everything would play out. From my PHTLS (Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support) training and hospital rotations to simply acclimating to life in Spain, I had no idea what to really expect. I also knew that the language barrier would be a slight obstacle, despite my best efforts to learn as much as I could in a short time. 

        It’s actually kind of funny, my first night in Sevilla, about three hours after I landed, I met the other students in my program. We were a whopping group of three (and eventually just two). I tried striking up a conversation with one of the others, Morgan, asking what her name was, only to be met with a “dos semanas”. She’d misheard me, thinking I was asking how long she’d been in Spain, but my stomach DROPPED when I heard her response in Spanish. After all, with a group this small, I needed people I could communicate with. It ended up being a silly miscommunication and she does in fact speak English. Some people who don’t speak English, though, were my host family.

        I opted to live in a homestay to better immerse myself in the culture and lifestyle here, and boy did I get what I wished for. When I first met Alfredo, he asked me a simple question: “Hablas espanol?”. While I understood that much, I definitely wasn’t anywhere proficient enough to claim that I was good at it. I remember having the stupidest expression of shock on my face as he just smiled and led me up the stairs. In a fun twist of luck, I didn’t speak much Spanish and they didn’t speak much English. Of course, I fully accept that this was on me, since I was the one in their country. But we made it work! Through my limited Spanish, a bit of Google Translate, and a LOT of charades, we were able to communicate.

        It’s easy to play it safe and stick to what feels familiar. For me, that would’ve been holing up in my homestay. But I didn’t travel halfway across the world to play it safe. I thrusted myself into a situation that would push and challenge me because I knew I would be better for it afterwards. So every day, I would leave and explore the city, with or without my newfound friends. My program had a bunch of activities planned, but what I found to be the most gratifying was to just put one step in front of the other and get lost. You notice so much more around you when you aren’t focused on getting somewhere. I found that Sevilla is just another place on Earth. A beautiful city rich with culture, mind you, but it was nothing to be scared of. The people live and laugh, the dogs bark and beg, and the sun rises and sets.

        That being said, there are definitely noticeable differences here in Spain compared to what I knew in Hawaii and other places in the States. For one thing, the days are a lot longer than what I’m used to. The sun doesn’t set until at least 10pm, and the city is still up much later than that. Many places are open quite late and it’s not uncommon to see people, including small children, walking about in the late hours of the night. Nightlife doesn’t even begin until around 1 am to 2 am and it may not end until the early hours of the morning. Even stranger to me is the general atmosphere of safety. Neither me nor the two female students I came here with felt unsafe walking home late at night. I’ve heard the same sentiments from many others, as well.

        Now that I’ve finished my time in Spain, it’s fun to look back on my journey. It’s been humbling, eye-opening, and incredibly empowering. A month is either a short time or a long time, depending on who you ask, but to me, it’s incredible how acclimated I felt to life in Sevilla now. Everything that was strange to me now feels muted, like a simple fact of life. Even outside of my program/internship, I can feel that I’ve grown a bit more. In a way that I can only describe as “stepping into the world”, I feel like I understand life a little bit better. No one way of life is right, people are fascinating, and the key to learning more about both is living it and asking. Thanks for sticking along with my rambles here, I hope it was at least entertaining!

3 Weeks in Spain

Landing in Sevilla, I was greeted by warm, golden sunlight and a welcoming atmosphere. The drive to my housing was picturesque, with narrow streets lined with orange trees and historical buildings that told stories of the past. My host mother was a sweet older woman who became like family. During these three weeks that I lived with her, I felt safe, happy, and at peace. I was extremely appreciative of the delicious food, the heartfelt conversations, and her kindness, patience, and humor. Señora genuinely brought a smile to my face every day!

Weekend excursions were a highlight of my trip. Throughout my time abroad, I was able to travel to Barcelona and Lisbon, Portugal as well to truly maximize my experience. I loved Sevilla, but getting the experience to travel to other places was the experience of a lifetime. Classes were held at a local university, a short bus or train ride from my homestay. They were challenging but engaging, taught by passionate professors who encouraged us to immerse ourselves in the culture. Each day in Sevilla was a new adventure. Mornings started with a stroll to a local café for café con leche. Classes took up a significant part of my day but were balanced with exploration. Afternoons were spent visiting the Parque de María Luisa adjacent to the Plaza de España, getting gelato or relaxing by the Guadalquivir River.

I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had in Sevilla. It was a transformative experience, and I do believe it will DEFINITELY stand out on my résumé and in future applications. Returning to the States after my time in Europe has been an eye-opening experience. I never fully realized how much growing and changing happened until I got home. I grew a newfound sense of confidence, independence, and self-assurance in Europe. I learned to navigate unfamiliar environments, adapt to new cultural norms, and communicate more effectively in Spanish. These experiences pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop a stronger sense of self and resilience. I also gained lifelong friendships with the other girls in the program! 

Since returning, I've felt a strong longing to go back. Life here doesn't feel the same, and I miss the excitement and growth I experienced in Seville. This has motivated me to explore opportunities for employment and graduate school abroad. I'm particularly interested in finding a way to return to Spain when I graduate in May 2025, as the experience with GlobalEd has profoundly shaped my aspirations and worldview.

Suggestions/Advice to Future Study Abroad Students

1. Embrace the Culture: Dive into local customs and traditions. It will enhance your experience and help you feel more connected.
2. Learn the Language: Even basic Spanish will go a long way in making daily interactions smoother.
3. Be Open-Minded: Expect and embrace differences. They are what make the experience unique and enriching.
   

Interning in Sevilla (and other things I've done while here!)

Hey! My name is Kyle and I’m doing the GlobalEd Abroad 2+2 Medical Internship program in Sevilla, Spain. I’m here for a month doing a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) course followed by two weeks of interning at a hospital. I didn’t know what to really expect or look forward to when I signed up for this program, but it’s been incredibly exciting and I want to share all about it what I've done for anyone interested in this kind of thing. I'll begin with my program/s day to day.

PHTLS

I started my first two weeks with my PHTLS training. Every day we’d start by discussing EMT theory and then do practice scenarios, either with a training dummy or one of us playing a victim. In a group of three, one person would be the “leader” and direct the situations, ranging from cardiac arrest to car accidents to even a multi-step earthquake extraction. We’d arrive on scene, do our multi-step assessments, and provide the on-site emergency care. At times, it proved to be stressful and I was definitely pushed in ways I couldn’t have even fathomed before. Still, this was the kind of training and preparedness I’ve wanted for years and I believe I’ve come out more confident and better for it. This training would run from about 9am to 5pm Mondays through Thursdays, leaving the remainder of the days and the long weekends open for whatever we wanted.

Hospital

Part two of my program here in Spain includes two weeks of hospital rotations, which I'm currently in the process of. I’ve finished one week so far and I’m thoroughly enjoying it! I’m interning at Vithas Hospital, a private hospital with a lot of different departments. My shifts go from 9am to around 1:30pm, depending on the doctor I’m with and the caseload of the day. So far, I’ve done two days in pediatrics, one in the ICU and one in the ER, as well as one day in the adult ER, so I’ve seen a wide range in my small snapshot of hospital life. It’s incredible seeing patients come in and get assessed by these doctors with years of experience, then to hear the thought processes behind everything discussed. I also got to visit the NICU ward twice, which I really enjoyed. I came into this experience primarily interested in cardiology, but now I’ve found a budding interest in pediatrics. I’m unsure what to expect for my remaining few days, but I know that I’ll learn and see a lot. I may even have the opportunity to watch a heart surgery, which is exciting as that’s one of the things that struck up my interest in healthcare in the first place. Unfortunately I don't have pictures out of respect to privacy.

Extracurricular Activities

My newfound friends and I would spend our nights trying different tapas bars around Sevilla. And with or without them, I was going out for ice cream pretty much every single night. So if anyone needs recommendations, I have an amazing list and I am more than willing to share. I also took full advantage of my weekends off to travel to a couple of the other beautiful cities in Spain. 

Italica

Our first excursion was to Italica, the ruins of an ancient Roman city. To backtrack, I found out something incredible on my first night with the other students: all three of us were Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon fans. Luckily for us, Spain is home to many of the filming sites used in the two shows. Italica was home to the Anfiteatro de Italica, the spot where the big families met in season 7 of GoT, so naturally we had to go!

STARSTRUCK

Our other classmate managed to book us a private, guided tour of the city where we learned a lot of its Roman history, culture, and beautiful architecture. We ended the tour with the Amphitheater in all of its glory, where I unfortunately nerded out and took many pictures. 

Comparison

Granada

That same weekend, a day later actually, we took a train to the city of Granada. One of the others had studied there before so we got our own sort of guided tour, hiking up to the Alhambra, an Islamic palace, walking around the city, and trying some of the best churros I’ve ever had in my life. I will say, if you end up going to the Alhambra, which I do very much recommend, wear shoes with good traction, as some of the steps were kind of slippery. We also went to an Irish pub later than night and watched one of the Eurocopa games, Netherlands vs Turkey. Let’s just say “rowdy” was a complete understatement. 

Ronda

I went on two solo trips in the weeks after. One was a two-day trip to Ronda, a city with the most incredible bridge I’ve ever seen before. The Puente Nuevo is a gigantic bridge made of stone over 200 years ago, which is absolutely insane to me. There’s a canyon hike you can descend to get an amazing view of the gorge and bridge (I’ll attach a picture, but it’s something I think you need to see for yourself). Other places I explored were the Mondragon Palace, the Arab Baths, and the Museo Lara S.L. The palace and baths were cool to see, but they were ultimately a little small and over with soon. Not to discourage anyone from going to see them, of course, admission was very cheap, but I think that the real prize was the museum. There were centuries of Spanish history on display, as well as a basement full of witchcraft and terrifying medieval torture exhibits. Skin crawling stuff, but fascinating in its own right. 

Cadiz

The other self trip I went on was a simple day trip to Cadiz yesterday. I’ll be honest, as a student living in Hawaii, going to a beach town was not high on my list of travel priorities. However, one of my friends studied here in Spain before me and said that I absolutely had to visit. In all honesty, I saw where he was coming from. Cadiz has a HUGE stretch of beach that you could spend an hour or two walking down and the water is so incredibly clear. I didn’t even make it all the way down before I realized I had to turn back to make my return train (but that’s a result of train delays and planning a short trip). Would I say it’s a must-see in Spain? No, but it wouldn’t be a waste of your time, either. 

Program Provided

I’ve talked a lot about my travels outside of Sevilla, but I should also mention that my program has had a lot of activities for us to do within the city. We started the entire trip off with a horse and carriage ride through the city followed by a tapas dinner to try a couple of Spanish foods. There was also a boat tour, a flamenco show, and a visit to the top of Las Setas, a giant wooden structure that I learnt was actually the largest one in the world! But that’s not all. We also had an ice cream social, another night doing a tapas crawl, and coming up, a paella cooking class that I’m very much looking forward to.

View of Sevilla from Las Setas

Long story short, there’s no shortage of things to do here in or around Sevilla. A lot of activities and travel are actually on the cheaper end if you know where to look/book, and I say if you can do it, open yourself up to the experiences. You'll thank yourself for it in the years to come.

The beginning of my semester abroad in Spain

My name is Kat and I am a senior at HPU. I studied abroad for my last semester. I left Hawai'i on December 25th and arrived in Madrid on December 27th. The reason I went so early was because I wanted to get situated, figure out how to metro works, get a phone plan, etc. I found out later that most students arrived right before classes started around January 5th-10th. Either way, arriving early meant I was going to be spending New Years in Spain. I learned about the Spanish tradition where you eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Years Eve to receive good luck the following year. 

New Years Pic

I spent New Years day at Parque del Retiro, which was about a 20 minute walk from my apartment. The park is huge and there is a lot to explore. 

Park pic

I remember being in awe at all the beautiful art and architecture when I walked around the city. I took a lot of pictures and really appreciated the new environment.

I was still feeling pretty nervous at this point since I had never left the country before and I didn't speak a lot of Spanish. I was really lucky that my brother moved with me to Madrid since he was able to transfer for work. It was a lot easier to figure things out with someone rather than having to figure everything out by myself. I tried to take it one day at a time and have little goals and things to look forward to every day. For example, I would look forward to having a morning coffee or a good breakfast. I would also make sure to call my boyfriend, family, friends, etc. pretty often so I could still feel connected to my support system. 

Must See Art In Madrid

 Must See Art In Madrid

There's nothing I love more than strolling around an art gallery by myself with no rush. It puts me in a creative mindset where I feel endlessly inspired for my next projects. As an arts and markets major I was so excited to see the new world of paintings available to view in Spain. With Madrid as the capital I was in the perfect place to see some amazing Spanish art. Below is a list of my favorite museums and a must see list for an art lover like myself. 

1. Museo Del Prado: This one is a no-brainer and I visited about 10 times throughout my semester abroad and would still like to go back. It's a huge museum, home to some of the most famous Spanish artists like Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, and more. They have walls with huge masterpieces that will truly blow your mind. I recommend visiting in the morning, as the later the day gets the more busy it typically is. No food or drinks are allowed. As a student you can enter for free (which I clearly took advantage of). On one of my visits there I even got to see other art students copying famous works for their own studies. I always bring a notebook to write down any ideas I have or inspirations that hit me. This is one of the most well renowned art museums in the world and in my opinion you could spend an entire day here. 

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia: This museum was very interesting and had much more modern sections compared to other museums which are mainly historical. This is also home to Picasso's Guernica so of course it is a very important and wonderful museum. They have many other famous artists such as Salvador dali. This museum also has a courtyard in the middle to sit down and relax in between absorbing all of the art which I enjoyed. Definitely a must see art museum and as a student you can enter free of charge. 

   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza: This museum surprised me as I assumed it would be less wowing than the others I’ve visited but Thyssen Museum was truly one of my favorites. Not only do they have more modern artists, they have beautiful priceless early netherlandish paintings. This museum is very big as well and has something for every taste of the artist. They even had a picasso exhibit when I went with the original pieces side by side with the ones that inspired Picasso. I had such an amazing time here and was able to enter for free because of my student transit card. I really encourage looking here to see amazing art from all different kinds of genres and backgrounds. 

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I was so thrilled that I chose Spain to study abroad and learned so much more about Spanish art history and culture. It made me so motivated to continue to learn Spanish and other languages to be able to better connect and experience different art from across the world. Going to these art museums pushed me outside my comfort zone to go places alone. I feel that this experience really helped me to dedicate more of myself to art and get a better understanding of the art world. 

My Time In Madrid Spain

 Reflection On My Study Abroad Experience- Getting to Madrid Tips / Spanish Phrases to know

Going into this experience I knew it would be challenging for me as I have never travelled outside the country before and can often get very confused when it comes to directions and new systems.

Traveling to Spain in particular is a struggle if you do not know Spanish. There were many times where people tried to talk to me and I could not understand a word of what they were saying. This made me feel embarrassed and like I did not deserve to be there. I would say study, study, study spanish before you come to Spain. You can get by without, but the experience is a whole lot more enjoyable if you are able to actually communicate with those around you. Over time I realized that I need to be less hard on myself and allow myself to learn slowly without feeling ashamed. This experience motivated me more than ever to actually dedicate time to learning Spanish each day, and since being back in the states I have more time to dedicate to learning Spanish and it makes me feel so good! Learning more of the language continues to remind me of my experiences and brings me back into the culture.

Specific phrases and areas of study to begin to learn before coming.

As soon as you get to your gate for your flight to Spain everyone around you will be speaking in Spanish, at least thats how it was for me. So it is great to go ahead and learn all airport vocabulary and basic phrases to speak to others on the plane if you need to get by, ask a question, or get to your seat. It can be intimidating being surrounded by those all speaking a different language than you, just focus on listening to nearby conversations and trying to pick up on words you understand. Slowly you will grasp more and more words and then begin to understand the general idea of what is being said. When you arrive in Spain you have to go through customs. It if often very hectic and a long line. They will ask in Spanish if you have an EU passport to go in one line, and all others continue walking to another line. Then an official will view your passport and ask you some questions about your stay. It would be great to already have these answers prepared in Spanish so you are not as flustered as I was. Some questions they asked were…

Why are you entering Spain? How long will you be staying? Where will you be staying? 

The Madrid Barajas Airport is quite huge, once you are let through you will go pick up your bags. Since the customs process took so long my bags had been put to the side when I got to the baggage claim so just keep looking around everywhere if your bags are no where to be found because thats how I found mine! I then got an Uber to my address I was staying. I had to travel up to the Uber pickup spot, the signs in the airport often point two different ways so it can be hard to tell which way to go. Take your time and follow the arrows and if they lead you wrong just back track and try the other way. Pay attention to your surroundings, learn phrases you might need to ask for help, other workers will offer to help you if you look confused, and other travelers will help as well. 

Spanish Apps I recommend

I love a good language learning app so here are some great resources I have used to learn Spanish.

1. Memrise: This app is really great, it uses videos with native speakers, ai toolbots to chat with you, and really easy interactive ways to learn words and phrases and it is free!

2. Ella Verbs: This app/website is awesome, it takes you through all the gramatical bases in Spanish and tests you. A really great educational tool, almost like a Spanish class. This is also free for 3 months, then after you can write an email requesting further free access and they will grant it. 

3. Duolingo: This app is great at keeping you practicing every day. It teaches good gramatical concepts and helps you to form sentences. However the ads do get very annoying so to get the full benefits try to convince your parents to sign up for the family plan so you don't have to pay. 

4. Youtube: I love looking up spanish- english translated music videos and singing them and following along trying to understand the lyrics. 

5. Lipdub: This app is great because it can give you an understanding of what your Spanish voice is supposed to sound like. It’s a really cool software that translates your voice and speech into whatever language you want. This helps you understand how you'll sound once you get more fluent and is another good motivator. 

6. Conjugato: This app is also free and has all the spanish verbs and conjugations. It has flashcards to tell you the correct form and tense to use. 

7. Netflix: Any show you watch you can change the audio to spanish and turn on english subtitles. I recommend specific Spanish shows set in madrid such as Elite, and Valeria. 

Try your best to dedicate time to learn spanish to get the most out of your study abroad experience, if I could go back I would start practicing a lot sooner. 

Solo Adventures/Tips and Tricks for Solo Traveling! :)

 Hi everyone! My name is Kayleigh Mosher, and I spent 6 months studying in Alicante, Spain. Between January and June of 2023, I traveled to 6 countries: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Morocco. An important goal of mine was to solo travel in Europe. While I was across the pond, I went on a few solo trips and some of my favorites were Barcelona, Valencia, and Paris! I hope sharing my experiences and tips will help you when you decide to study abroad and/or solo travel! 

Picasso Museum - Barcelona, Spain

Traveling alone can be a scary yet transformative experience. As I am writing this entry, I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia for the time I spent exploring the beauty and uniqueness of each place I traveled. Solo traveling felt special to me because I was completely in control of every decision I was making. Whether it be waking up early for the sunrise, or strolling down a random street aimlessly, or striking up a conversation with someone and deciding to change my plans just so I can keep talking to them, I was happy because I was doing what made me happy in the moment. While I was still in school between taking these trips, being able to make my own schedule was great because I would set my sights on finding a cool library or bookstore that I was able to sit down in and get my homework done. For me, these places that I went to to get work done felt like safe spaces. 

Solo Adventures: Barcelona, Valencia, and Paris!

VALENCIA

One random day after class, I was sitting in the grass on campus at the University of Alicante and I decided to look up train tickets to Valencia. To my surprise, round trip tickets were only 30 euro Thursday to Sunday. I booked the tickets, found a cheap hostel, and within 24 hours I was at the train station. It was incredibly nerve racking, knowing that I was about to be by myself in a foreign city, miles away from anyone I had known, but I soon fell in LOVE with Valencia! After visiting many cities, I have to say that Valencia is by far my favorite place I visited! I quickly found that this place is a very safe and welcoming destination for female solo travelers, and I met so many other women just like me that expressed the same comfortability.

- Where I stayed: Purple Nest Hostel

While In Valencia, I stayed at ‘Purple Nest Hostel Valencia’ in an all girls 10 bunk room. Everyone I met while staying there was incredibly nice, and I even went out with a group of girls I met on the first night there! One of the things I loved about staying in hostels, other than the fact that it was cheaper than any other option, was that almost everyone I met had the same sense of adventure and curiosity that I do. A great piece of advice that I took and ran with was to make friends with others in your hostel. Most hostels I stayed in had events such as pub crawls, board game nights, etc. for the purpose of meeting new people. This is a great way to make connections with people from all over the world.

- What I saw: 

• The City of Arts and Sciences

• Mercado Central

• Torres de Serranos (Ancient Town Gate)

• Plaza de Toros de Valencia (Bullring)

• Catedral de Valencia

BARCELONA

- Where I stayed: Zero Barcelona Hostel - Now known as Jacobs Inn Barcelona

This was the nicest hostel I stayed in during my travels. We had big storage drawers that my travel backpack could fit in while it was completely full, outlets, a light, and a curtain for each bed space, and a shelf above your pillow for your phone/valuables at night. This is a top-tier accommodation compared to some other hostels I've seen that throw up a couple pieces of plywood and call it walls. Breakfast was an extra fee (I don’t exactly remember how much extra but it couldn’t have been that much because I was ballin 'on a budget) and it was delicious! I stayed in a mixed 12 bed dorm (Men and Women). I went into this scared to stay in a mixed dorm because I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in a room with men I have never met before, but people stayed in their own areas and everyone I met was very nice. 

- What I saw:

• La Sagrada Familia

• Picasso Museum

• Mercat de la Boqueria - Famous market in the city center

• Park Güell

• La Rambla

• Ciutadella Park

• Casa Batlló

PARIS

This was an amazing experience I will never forget! I flew from Alicante to Paris, France by myself. I flew into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and when I got off the plane, UBER pieces from the airport to my hostel were $50!!!! I do not have the funds for that! So I took a minute to rethink my options and decided to try and figure out the train from the airport into the city. After about an hour of trying to speak broken French, almost getting on the wrong train, and looking completely lost, I finally got on the right train and only paid $4 for a ticket! I was so proud of myself. 

I met up with two of my friends that were also studying abroad through HPU, one in Seville and the other in Paris. We were all staying in different places, but met up to sightsee, eat dinner, and go out! I still considered it solo traveling, but I had the plus of seeing friends along the way! It was great to be able to have that sense of freedom and independence, while also being connected to home and having safe people to turn to.

- Where I stayed: BVJ Opera Montmartre - Youth Hostel 

This hostel was in a great location with a lot of foot traffic. In the area, there were museums, parks, coffee shops, and super close metro stations. I would recommend staying here if you are traveling to Paris. I stayed in a Basic 10 bed female dorm, but there were only 4 girls in the room the whole time. Breakfast was included in the price and it was gooood too! I paid a total of $80 to stay there for 3 nights. I felt very comfortable, and I even met a girl that I still talk to now.

- What I saw:

• Eiffel Tower

• Arc de Triomphe

• Louvre

• Tuileries Garden

• Montmartre

• Musee D’Orsay

• Luxembourg Gardens

• Sainte-Chappel

• Shakespeare and Company Bookstore

Tips and Tricks for Solo Travelers:

1. Research the destination

1. Be aware of where you are booking accommodations - “Is it in a safe neighborhood?”

2. Keep friends and family updated on your itinerary and/or share your location!

3. Seek advice from locals!

4. Never look lost! 

1. Act like you know where you are going at all times! Of course in the middle of busy tourist areas it is common to stop, look around, and take it all in, but in less populated areas or at night, I always make sure to look like I'm on a mission!

5. Pace yourself!

1. You are the only one you need to worry about now! That means you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it! This can be very overwhelming for some people and it is important to remember to pace yourself if you need to. Personally, I get very stressed out when I am traveling because I try to cram every possible thing into two or three days. This is when I try to remember that I can sit down, have a cup of coffee, and just observe.

6. Journal

1. I tried to keep a journal of my travels, but I simply forgot or got too busy and I regret it too often. I recommend you take notes of anything and everything that you think is important. Sometimes I look back on a picture and think about how I felt at the time. If I kept a journal I could whip it out and be transported back to that memory. I highly recommend you journal where you go, what you do, eat, feel. Anything!

7. Homework can be done anywhere!

1. I had a heavy course load when I was abroad and ended up with hours of homework every weekend! Instead of staying cooped up at home sitting at a desk in my room, I decided to take my work wherever I went! I found beautiful old libraries and bookstores, cafes and parks to set up and get some homework done. I thought this was a fun way to go off the beaten path of common tourist attractions by finding places where locals might be working as well. 

I cannot stress enough how important solo traveling is for self discovery, and I hope I can encourage you to take the leap and expand your horizons by participating in HPU Study Abroad!

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”

― Miriam Adeney

Lots of Love, Kayleigh :)