Not going to lie – I am completely terrified. Who wouldn’t be when you are about to travel to a different country and live there for over two months? Traveling to a different country is hard enough. Navigating the airports, attempting to read street signs and trying to learn at least some of the language so that you can do normal things like order food or ask where the nearest bathroom is are one thing, but to live in another for a extended amount of time is an entirely different story. A month, I could handle, but two months and I might as well be Eleven from Stranger Things trying to navigate the outside world. I am not saying that I regret booking my ticket or that I want to cancel my trip, but I did not know it would take so much work and time to plan such a trip.
As someone who has never left the country before, I was completely clueless as to how I was supposed to prepare for my trip. I soon realized that I would first need a passport. You’re probably thinking, “Duh, of course you will need a passport, Sabrina,” but believe me when I say that I have what my family likes to call “blonde moments.” And I definitely was not the brightest crayon in the box the day I asked my parents if I needed a passport to travel out of the country. I am chalking that particular blonde moment up to lack of sleep from studying for finals. Yeah, let’s go with that.
Moving forward with my trip itinerary, I became aware that not only did I need a passport, but that I needed a visa too. This surprised me, I was awestruck and confused, not to mention that one of the forms I had to fill out was in Hindi and I do not speak or read Hindi. Honestly, if you have never traveled to a different country, it is not easy at first and that’s probably why not too many people decide to travel across the world.
A suggestion I would give to anyone thinking of traveling is to research some basic information about the place you are traveling to. For India, I legitimately asked my roommate a million questions. They ranged from what I should wear to whether or not I will survive the spicy food. After she laughed for 10 minutes, she gave me a brief rundown of her city and the places we would be touring and visiting. She also added that I would be the first-ever American to step foot into her city. Upon hearing this, I was shocked and nervous. Honestly, I was more nervous than shocked as she reassured me that it was no big deal, I realized how crazy it is that I will be the first American to step foot into her city. This is the biggest adventure I have ever embarked on and I am confident that I am more than ready because Gannon has provided me with all the resources I need to succeed.
