Hard to believe that one week has passed since I got to Porto, Portugal for the European Innovation Academy!
This study abroad program marks my first international flight, my first time in Europe, and not to mention my first time studying abroad— let’s just say I was a little out of my depth here. To celebrate the completion of my first week, I wanted to reflect on some of my mistakes for others preparing to face their first day abroad!
#1. Going to the Wrong Terminal
This one is technically the day before my first day in Portugal, but I think it’s appropriate. If you are flying United out of Atlanta here is an important message for you: there is no check in at the international terminal. Imagine me standing with my two suitcases and my passport slightly shaking in hand asking where to find the United check in just to hear, “oh wrong terminal!”. Next thing I know, my mom is picking me back up and we are once again on the way—this time to the right location. Remember to look into these things the night before! But guess what? I still made it to my gate with plenty of time to get an overpriced sandwich from Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
#2. Going to Bed As Soon as I Arrived (at 8 AM)
When I was booking my flight, I thought leaving midday and landing in the morning was a great idea. I left out the part where I couldn’t sleep during my 8 hour flight and was exhausted by the time I got to my housing. Let’s just say a four hour nap followed, which is apparently rule number one of what not to do when traveling abroad. Thankfully, I was still so tired that I fell asleep that night just fine… but it’s still worth considering your stamina and sleeping tendencies when booking your flight.
#3. Bringing a Credit Card Widely Unaccepted in Portugal
Yeah. Checking to verify if I could use this particular card was not on my long list of to-do’s. Who knew right? I tried using the credit card in question to buy a metro ticket only to receive beeps and flashing messages in return. Let’s just say my debit card saw some action for a few days until I was able to link another credit card to Apple Pay. I definitely recommend verifying this information before leaving the country.
#5. Grocery Shopping with Zero Plan
After my long post-flight nap, a group of students from Alabama rallied to explore the grocery store. I wanted to brainstorm a list of items to buy, but instead ended up going with no list and no plan. The grocery store was, to put it simply, overwhelming. Everything was in Portuguese and the store was organized in a completely different way than I was used to. I barely remember what I bought, but I do know that I ended up having to go to a different grocery store the next day to fill in (quite a few) gaps.
Why It’s OK!
After one week here, I can safely say that nothing I did wrong on that first day was that big of a deal. Actually, I think those mistakes grew my confidence in being in unfamiliar situations and finding ways to problem solve fast.
Some advice for your first day: allow yourself to mess up, don’t take yourself too seriously, and take everything that comes your way head on. It’s all worth it!