For many, a key aspect of the study abroad experience is the opportunity to travel. In Europe in particular, it is so easy (and often affordable) to get from one country to another that many students have grandiose goals of seeing the majority of the continent in a semester.
In Paris this spring, I too had to figure out how to spend my weekends. Should I stay in Paris? Cross Budapest off my travel bucket list? In the end, every student decides what kind of semester abroad they want to have. Another episode in the quality vs. quantity debate.
Most people, myself included, took a middle-of-the-road approach. I had friends who seemed to be gone every weekend and others who were always exploring a new hidden niche of Paris. Over the course of the spring term I’d say that I traveled every third weekend or so. This allowed me to spend some much-desired quality time with the City of Light, while also getting a (small) taste for Europe.
Of course, I also had the week to see Paris. However, between classes and transportation there wasn’t necessarily much time for getting lost in the labyrinth of the Latin Quarter or a leisurely stroll through the Bois de Boulogne. I think that in order to really get a sense of one’s home abroad it is important to set aside time to just walk aimlessly and “do nothing” which nearly always leads to doing something.
Another solution to the free time question is to remember your host country and not just your host city. This can be a nice compromise between flying halfway across Europe and staying in your neighborhood. I invested in a youth train pass in France which paid for itself after my first trip to Normandy. After that I also went down to Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and La Rochelle. Each city was unique and made for exciting trips, while still feeling vaguely familiar and French. Admittedly, Marseille felt like another country altogether.
On my program, everyone seemed to find their personal balance. I wouldn’t trade in those weekends spent roaming Paris for anything; nor do I regret taking that spontaneous trip to Granada. Studying abroad is exciting because the opportunities are truly endless. In addition to any courses you might take abroad, you are already pre-enrolled in Time Management 101.