Why I'm Glad I Went For A Semester Instead Of A 2-Week Trip

I’ve done both types of trips and I’ve got to say, I always prefer to be gone for an entire semester and here’s why. 

I got bitten by the travel bug pretty early on and it’s only gotten worse (or better, in my opinion) as I’ve gotten older. I got my first passport when I was ten and grew up with short little trips ...  but did my first semester abroad during college and haven’t looked back.

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Since that first semester abroad, I’ve lived abroad in three different countries and I feel like I’m just getting started — that gap year of traveling has turned into two years ... and might turn into three. 

I Like Visiting ... But I Love Living Abroad

Don’t get me wrong, visiting somewhere for a week or two is great; I’ve seen a few countries that way and have loved my time there. But that’s just it — it’s just a visit.

Two weeks in Europe lets you see the highlights and usually it's the most famous tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben. But a semester living there gives you so much more, it’s not even comparable. You see so much more than the highlights.

I started to reconsider those 2 week trips once I went abroad for much, much longer.  I love being a regular at the same little cafe or being able to think “I love this street; I’ll come back next week.” Finding those hidden gems and meeting friends is just harder to do when you are only there for three days before leaving to see another city. 

I Love Having A Home In A Foreign Country

You’ll get a taste of what I’m talking about as an International Language Programs (ILP) volunteer. You get the chance to live abroad like a local for an entire semester, but also get vacation time to visit other cities and other countries so it’s really the best of both worlds.

It’s fun playing tourist, seeing the classic sites like the Roman Coliseum or the beaches in Bali; but then you get to come home to your host family or apartment  (check all of ILP’s other countries here)…it’s the best! When I came back from one of my long vacations,  I was so happy to be back "home" .... back home in Europe ... because I got to live there for a whole semester!

By the time I left, I felt like I was leaving such a big part of me there, because that city and that country truly felt like home to me. I just don't get that same attachment when I'm visiting for a short time. 

I Adore Buying Fresh Fruit 

This makes sense, I promise. When I was living in Asia with ILP I loved getting fruit from the little fruit stands because 1: the fruit is delicious, and 2: because it meant I was going to be there long enough to eat a whole bag of these gorgeous mandarins. I’d see tourists grab one or two, because they didn’t have a fridge in their hotel room or would soon be leaving to go home — home home, not back to their cute apartment.

It was so sad for me to walk past my cute fruit lady my last week; I knew I didn’t have enough time to get a full bag and eat it before I had to say goodbye and leave. 

There are so many little moments like this that seal the deal for me when it comes to the "2-week trip or semester long adventure". I'm much more attached to the memories and the experiences I had when I was living somewhere for a few months than the ones I've had on my shorter excursions. There's nothing like feeling totally immersed in the culture and feeling like a local. 

Oh, And I Love Saving Money

I also love knowing my airfare is pretty much the same whether I'm there for a week or there for 3-4 months; either way, you gotta buy a plane ticket there and a plane ticket home, right?

But wait, it gets even better if you choose to volunteer abroad with ILP. The program fee that you pay as an ILP volunteer to live somewhere for about 3-4 months is easily about the same that you would spend to travel around Europe for 2 weeks. Volunteering for a longer amount of time is the best bang for your buck if you want to travel.

So save your money and just stay longer! Just travel- there are so many little ways it will change your life. 

If you’ve even thought a tiny bit about going abroad, do it! 

I heard about the chance to live abroad for an entire semester with a program fee that included your flight, visa, 3 meals a day, housing, and opportunities to delve deep into the culture, and I haven’t looked back — ILP has totally changed what I thought my life would be like, giving me so many friends and adventures all over the world.