Pre-Travel

The days leading up to our 1st day of travel

Left to right: Madilyne, Catherine, Virginia, Caroline

Meet the group and I! We have been so excited to finally leave to Sweden for the month. The time has flown by so much since we got accepted into the program to the day we left. We were all so busy with student teaching, that we had barely any time to prepare for our departure.

Before applying for teaching abroad, I had talked to people who said to do it if the chance is available. As long as I got financial aid for the trip, I would be able to go. Luckily, TCU has a passion for sending students overseas to represent the school and to gain international experience. This is my second time abroad through the College of Education. I loved my first time abroad last year, I feel like a pro this year (compared to last)!

With the help of Cayia, our TA in class who went to Gothenburg the previous year, I was eased and prepared. I always asked her questions about what to pack, what the area was like, what they did that worked, etc. This will be my first time abroad without an actual adult who knows how to navigate, plan, and take care of us.

Weeks before the trip, my group and I were discussing what to do for our "winter/spring break". This is the 2nd week of February. Therefore, we teach for 1 week, travel, and teach for 2 more weeks for a total of 4 weeks in the country. We originally planned for Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Prague. However, the group decided to move the travel plans around, so we split up into 2 travel groups of 2. Madilyne and I are going to Amsterdam, Prague, and Copenhagen, while Caroline and Virginia go to Barcelona, Prague, and Paris. We all had Copenhagen planned for our trip on the last free weekend, however, it was easier and cheaper for Madilyne and I to fly to Copenhagen from Prague and take a train back to Gothenburg. Now, our group is planning on where to go for the weekend trip. Our options are: Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Berlin. We are leaning to Berlin since Virginia has family there.

I also made a mega packing list. I updated it multiple times to accommodate what I needed to bring. I packed everything into a 36lb suitcase, small zipper tote, and backpack. My packing cubes I got for Christmas were very useful in keeping my things organized. I also brought a lot of plastic shopping bags and Ziploc bags because you never know when you need them. All of my liquids were individually zip locked inside a Ziploc inside a shopping bag (triple bagged in case of spills). I also bought these cool fleece lined snow pants that I can wear over my pants when commuting to and from school. Also, about 1/3 of my bag was snacks since I always snack on food. So that space from eaten snacks will now go towards souvenirs. It's a win-win.