2008 Woodie Awards
Five Things They Don't Tell You About Abroad
By Oliver Todd
9/24/07 - Fool's Gold
Studying abroad is a great experience. Where else can you get credit for traveling, partying, and occasionally going to class? Regardless, it is not as cut and dry as it seems. There are a lot of things that your school will never prepare you for or things that they won't tell you. Being the world traveler that I am, I decided to share five things that everyone should know before they study abroad.
1. US airline carriers stink for international flights
Most US airlines are fine but are absolutely horrible for more than three hours. I flew Lufthansa (a German airline) to Europe and it was delightful. As soon as I sat down they gave me hot towels (something I thought was reserved for the snobs in first class), my own TV screen, soft fleece blankets, and most importantly -- alcohol. I'm not afraid of flying by any means, but booze makes the nine hour trek across the Atlantic with a 70-year old woman asking you to operate her Ipod every 20 minutes much more bearable. The attendants periodically walk up with wine and beer, looking at you oddly if you decline their offer (regardless of your age). By the time the second movie started, I was hoping to take the door off of the bathroom and lay it on the seats, so I could show Grandma how to play Beer Pong.
2. It is cheaper to be drunk than hydrated
Blame it on the exchange rate or the fact that the alcohol gods love the world more than Americans, but booze is two things here: abundant and cheap. So far, I have been able to find booze at movie theaters, metro stations, and literally 50 yards from a children's playground. At each one of those places, beer costs as much as a bottle of water. Take a second to let that sink in. A half liter of good beer is about 50 cents cheaper than a half liter of water. By this logic, I can justify my drunken antics as a budgetary measure rather than an immature cry for attention from my parents.
3. If you travel by train, you will have a scary experience
One of the best things about being abroad is like the beer, travel is cheap, and especially by train. It is pretty easy to understand the train system, but everyone I've ever met has some crazy story that involves the threat of being thrown off in a random Central European town that looks like the setting of "Hostel III: The Musical." My story involves an Ipod, a set of speakers, a drunk roommate, the song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, one mad train conductor, and a very distinct language barrier. (I knew how to say "Yes," "No," "Beer," "Thank You," and "Cucumber") It made for a tense couple of minutes. Luckily, we got out of trouble by paying a small fine. A word to the wise: letting your inebriated roommate blast his "Old School S***" play list is a bad idea, regardless of location.
1. US airline carriers stink for international flights
Most US airlines are fine but are absolutely horrible for more than three hours. I flew Lufthansa (a German airline) to Europe and it was delightful. As soon as I sat down they gave me hot towels (something I thought was reserved for the snobs in first class), my own TV screen, soft fleece blankets, and most importantly -- alcohol. I'm not afraid of flying by any means, but booze makes the nine hour trek across the Atlantic with a 70-year old woman asking you to operate her Ipod every 20 minutes much more bearable. The attendants periodically walk up with wine and beer, looking at you oddly if you decline their offer (regardless of your age). By the time the second movie started, I was hoping to take the door off of the bathroom and lay it on the seats, so I could show Grandma how to play Beer Pong.
2. It is cheaper to be drunk than hydrated
Blame it on the exchange rate or the fact that the alcohol gods love the world more than Americans, but booze is two things here: abundant and cheap. So far, I have been able to find booze at movie theaters, metro stations, and literally 50 yards from a children's playground. At each one of those places, beer costs as much as a bottle of water. Take a second to let that sink in. A half liter of good beer is about 50 cents cheaper than a half liter of water. By this logic, I can justify my drunken antics as a budgetary measure rather than an immature cry for attention from my parents.
3. If you travel by train, you will have a scary experience
One of the best things about being abroad is like the beer, travel is cheap, and especially by train. It is pretty easy to understand the train system, but everyone I've ever met has some crazy story that involves the threat of being thrown off in a random Central European town that looks like the setting of "Hostel III: The Musical." My story involves an Ipod, a set of speakers, a drunk roommate, the song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, one mad train conductor, and a very distinct language barrier. (I knew how to say "Yes," "No," "Beer," "Thank You," and "Cucumber") It made for a tense couple of minutes. Luckily, we got out of trouble by paying a small fine. A word to the wise: letting your inebriated roommate blast his "Old School S***" play list is a bad idea, regardless of location.
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