Packing for short trips is hard. Packing for long-term study abroad trips is even harder. I will admit, I procrastinated until the last day to pack. It felt like such a daunting task. The biggest thing I learned is if you forget something, you typically can find it there or something close to it. So don’t overthink it too much! I put together this packing list to hopefully help you make packing a little easier.
Mexico’s famed Riviera Maya – a long stretch of land along Highway 307 in the state of Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula – is much more than tourism in Cancun. It’s a perfect place for adventurers, families, history buffs, divers, ecologists, foodies, and luxury travelers.

Need advice on preparing for college road trips? Are your kids excited because it's all about the next phase in their lives, but you're worried about budgets, making a good impression, taking time off work to visit colleges, younger siblings, and having your kids make the best choice of college and location? TV and real-life dad Alan Thicke has been there, and offers our Wandering Educators some advice.
Considered by many to be the top driving tour in Europe, and perhaps even one of the top three in the world (next to Australia’s Great Ocean Road or California’s Highway 1), Germany’s Alpine Road stretches over 450 kilometres through the Alps. There’s no real reason to do this drive… it’s a drive for the hell of it, winding through the mountains, tiny German towns, and castles along the way. Why not?
As a Dora-Award winning actor, Nicky Guadagni is no stranger to centre stage. In her one-woman show Hooked, all eyes are certainly on her and audiences are utterly captivated by her “exquisite, note-perfect performance” (Brian D. Johnson, Maclean’s Magazine).
Studying abroad is a great opportunity and I’m sure many others are like myself - when I studied abroad in London, it was also my first time abroad. There were definitely some small tips that would have been beneficial, and some I figured out myself. I am able to hopefully provide some insight into what to expect when leaving the United States and arriving in London. It can be an overwhelming experience, but if you have an idea of what will happen when you land, it can make the start of your time in London less stressful.
As summer approaches and you have already spent countless hours educating and encouraging your students to do well on essays, etc. (there is a good service which writes essays from scratch), by the way and you might want to let your students in on that, it's now time for the educators to plan their summer trips. Summertime is the perfect time to turn into a 'learner' rather than a 'teacher' and you can do it at no expense to you.
Studying abroad is an exciting time, and a lot of preparation is needed in preparing to live in another country for an extended period of time. One small detail that can easily be overlooked is how you plan to power your electronics while you are away from home. This can easily be taken for granted and not thought of until it is too late, aka your first night abroad. Although seemingly simple, you do want to make sure you have a good understanding of electricity before trying to power anything.
Whether you're a travel writer and want to up your game, or are interested in learning about becoming a travel writer, I've got the resource for you. Tim Leffel, of Perceptive Travel and Travel Writing 2.0 (read my interview here!), has updated his classic guide to travel writing and brings with it an awareness of this new media landscape we live and work in.
Studying abroad provides you a unique opportunity to live in another country for a period of time. Unlike short vacations, you have the opportunity to live like a local and have the time to not only sight see, but spend time shopping. While I was abroad, I was able to spend time shopping at stores unique to London and stores you can also find in the United States. I’ve put together a list with information about some of the stores I visited, including ones I recommend checking out!