We studied abroad and you should too!

Hopeless Romantic anyone??

Ever heard of Love Locks? Do you believe in undying love?

Well on our trip through NDSU's CGI we went over the Pont de l'Archevêché
in Paris, France and got to see this wonderful bridge! On it you will see thousands of ribbons and padlocks attached to the railings. This bridge runs from Notre-Dame Cathedral to the left bank of the Seine. On the banks of Seine you can even see this glimmering, colorful mosaic in the sunlight!

It's just an incredibly moving bridge. Lovers travel from all around the world to "lock their love" on it. These locks range from simple padlocks, to bike locks, even heavy duty bricks of steel! You see many of these locks with the initials engraved, painted, written, whichever, and after the lock is locked onto the bridge, then the keys are thrown into the Seine in declaration of undying love.

If we would have went to Paris a year ago, chances are we may not have gotten to see them as recent news has shown that they were all removed overnight, mysteriously, after 10 years of collecting. These locks started appearing in the early 2000s, originally the spot in Paris was not the Pont de l'Archevêché, but the Pont des Arts, a smaller bridge that crossed from the Louvre to the Seine. Then they disappeared, without explanation.

This caused quite an upset in Paris and ever since, the bridge has been building up a collection of locks once more. Imagine flying from all over the world, to lock your love on the Pont de l'Archevêché bridge, would you do it?!

Check out the CGI blog here for more information!

And be sure to like it on Facebook!!

~ Jami ~

9 Countries & 9 stamps in the Passport later...

For other videos on study abroad travels visit the Center for Global Initiatives blog here!

-Katie

Shorts are a must no matter the season!

As our group ventured abroad, since it was in the middle of fall which equals cold, none of us packed shorts or more "summer wear" clothing. But were we ever in for it. Our group had some of the best weather for fall that Europe has ever seen. The first two weeks were 70's or 80's and we were all dying of heat and sweating through our scarves and jeans.  So, we recommend that no matter the season you are traveling abroad, that you be sure to pack at least 1 pair of reasonable length shorts or for girls a skirt.  You really never know when it's going to be hot hot hot. I (Ali) ended up borrowing my skirts off and buying a pair of shorts in Paris, didn't really mind that one so much...shorts from PARIS?! :) It still would have been better to have been prepared.

                                                                                               

For more great study abroad/travel tips be sure to visit this link!

And "like" CGI on facebook here

-Lee

Pack Jewelry Yes or No?

2 pounds of jewelry i thought was a great idea to bring along...NOT

Jewelry is always a tough one to decide on when vacationing especially for the fashionistas out there. I thought that I would for surely wear all of the jewels in the picture above because i'm big on my accessories back home, but i was wrong-o. I think i wore maybe 2 of the 7 necklaces i packed and zero of the bracelets and rings...yikes that equals lots of wasted space and weight.

We would suggest to you to bring with 2 necklaces that are versatile and maybe a bracelet and a ring if you have to. For our trip especially (being 5 weeks in length) we were moving all the time and getting up very early to fit everything in, therefore jewelry wasn't really on our minds. Instead of bringing all the jewels you have, we suggest a variety of scarves and jackets. After all, that's what shows in most of your pictures anyways!

If you do decide to bring a bundle of jewels for trips longer in length a small clear tackle box shown in the picture is a great investment. They maybe cost a whole 3 dollars at Walmart and pack things in very neatly for you. Even though we love em', we say to say bye bye to the jewels!

Plus, we ended up buying European jewels while overseas to add to our collections anyways! That means more weight to carry around.

For more tips on travel and study abroad visit the link here!
-Ali

Umm excuse me, how do I get it all to fit??

While studying abroad, you only get to bring so much with you, so how do you know what and how much to pack??

Now if you don't plan on wearing it more than three times, you probably shouldn't pack it. It's a good idea that everything you bring should complement almost every other item in your suitcase. Durable, light-weight clothes aren't a bad idea either and can be found at TravelSmith, REI, and ExOfficio. Remember, black is easy to pair anything with, but you also don't want to be in black your whole trip :)

You know to bring a variety of tops and bottoms to anticipate different weather conditions, and a scarf can complete any outfit. Make sure to be careful with jewelry, as people in other countries can take a lot more value to it and personal theft on a study abroad trip is something you more than likely want to avoid. Overall, if its of high value to you, try to leave it at home so as to not have to worry about losing it or worse like I mentioned earlier, it being stolen.

Shoes are veeeeery important! If you don't have proper shoes, you are going to be in a LOT of pain! Perhaps you read our earlier blog about Scholl's inserts?? If not be sure to look at that. You want to look nice obviously, but when it comes to days when you're on foot all day exploring, trust me, you're going to appreciate those proper shoes.

If you haven't invested in it now, also think about a hidden money belt, because you just never know where those pick-pocketers are and so far away from home, with any forms of ID or money you have, taken, makes for a terrible rest of your trip!

And remember, It doesn't hurt to wear many layers traveling to your initial destination to save space in your suitcase!

Want to know more about traveling abroad? Or Europe, check out the Center for Global Initiatives page here

And be sure to like us on Facebook!

~ Jami ~

Dr. Dr. please help my feets!

Tips for travelers doing lots of touring/exploring/adventuring by foot:

1) Pack Dr. Scholl's Foot Inserts.

You can try and find the comfiest shoes ever to bring with on your trip, but more than likely (especially for the girls) you will pack more than one pair of shoes for different outfits. That is why Dr. Scholl's inserts come in very handy. For the less comfortable shoes throw an insert in and voila the shoe becomes a much smoother ride. Buy more than one pack too. After viewing the picture below you'll see why. 

[Ali's Dr. Scholl's inserts at the end of the 3rd week!]

2) Bring comfortable shoes.

Think comfort NOT fashion. Seriously. Your feet will ache after a full day of activities even while wearing comfier shoes. Find a nice pair of tennies or some sort of hiking shoe, you won't regret it. But like we said, if you have a pair of shoes or boots that you would really like to pack that aren't the most comfortable be sure you have inserts along. 

3) Limit your shoes to 4 or less.

You have to carry and keep track of everything you bring with on your trip, so the 8 extra pairs of shoes you thought would look good with certain outfits probably aren't the best idea after all. We suggest that you pack a nice tennis shoe (maybe even 2 pairs of tennies to switch it up a bit), if you're going in the fall/winter maybe an Ugg like boot, a dress shoe for nicer occasions, & a fun pair. On top of this a pair of shower flip flops may come in handy if you plan to stay in hostels. Keep in mind that you will want to buy shoes once you get there, trust us.

 4) Leave the heels home!

If you're traveling throughout Europe, we experienced first hand the uneven bumps of the cobblestone. For this reason, we suggest not packing high heels. It is all the more easy to trip and brake or sprain an ankle & no one wants to be hurting on their vacation.

[We wore through the whole insert]

For more great tips on studying abroad visit the CGI blog here!

-Lee