We left today. It's a bittersweet process, leaving behind everyone you love for such a large journey. The only thing I can say to this effect, the only thing that is keeping me together, is that I keep reminding myself its only temporary, and praying for everyone to stay safe, healthy, and well.
Thinking of Parisian boulangeries helps too.
We left around 9:30am (arriving at the airport at 10). Our flight left Buffalo at 12, arriving in Chicago about an hour or so later. Now, we're just hanging out through the five hour layover. We should be arriving in Paris at about 3:10am EST - 9:10am local time. There isn't much to say about today. It has been an extremely average airport day, and I hope it will remain extremely average for the rest of the night. I will say, though, Chicago O'hare is one large airport!
Quick flying tip:
For students, teachers, and people under 26 - check out STAtravel.com for international flights. Their rates don't show up on other flight comparison sites like Kayak or Cheapo Air. And they are far, far better. You will be required to buy an International Student Identity Card (or the equivalent for teachers/under 26), but that is a small ($25) sacrifice for the hundreds you save with their flights.
Au revoir mes amis et ma famille!
Showing posts with label study abroad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label study abroad. Show all posts
Monday, September 23, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Things I wish I had known (at least) a month before leaving
So it's down to the nitty gritty, and of course, 4 days before my flight takes off is right when I start thinking about those last minute (important!) things. I have a credit card - but how will I affordably get cash while I'm away? How will I secure my laptop? My passport? My camera? Should I bring cash? Does the airport have ATMs? Since hitting the single digit count down, almost every other thought has become a new question or concern. With a little research I found answers to most of my questions... the rest I'll just have to chalk up to "learning experiences" I suppose! Luckily for my *future* readers, I have compiled my regrets into a handy list, which will hopefully be of use to someone else down the road.
1.) The number one thing I wish I had known about is Charles Schwab Bank. Now, this bank is recommended on many travel sites, and for good reason. There are no foreign ATM fees, and they even go so far as to issue you a rebate once a month on the cumulative total of ATM fees other banks charge you. Furthermore, there is no minimum balance! Victory for us frugal students! Another great benefit is the ability to link your Charles Schwab account to an account elsewhere, making it easy to transfer between the two. I love this feature, as it allows me to avoid the $5 + 3% fee my bank would be charging me, by simply transferring a moderate amount into the Charles Schwab account each week.
The only downside I have found so far, is that the "Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking account" is ONLY available in conjunction with a brokerage account. This isn't a major issue, since the brokerage account has no minimum balance, and can simply remain a 'ghost account' until the time you wish to use it (if ever). I don't intend to use mine, and know little to nothing about brokerage accounts, but from what I have read, its not easy to get your money back once you start "investing" at this bank. Stick with the checking account!
2.) Another thing I wish I had invested in with time to spare is some Pacsafe gear. It's not cheap, but they have great reviews and would make me feel so much safer. I've grown up in an extremely cautious household, so I'm trying to brace myself for the worst. The Pacsafe TravelSafeTM 20L (or any other size) is about $90 on Amazon. It's a wire-lined mesh bag with a lock. Try getting into that without a key! The other one I would've liked is the Pacsafe Luggage Rfidsafe 50 Passport and Credit Card Protector. This prevents your information from being stolen magnetically, I believe. Either way, its proven to work. These two in conjunction would be best for someone whose planning on living a bit of a nomadic life, with nowhere to safely keep valuables. I think they'd be useful just for subways and airports though.
3.) My laptop is a very important item for me. It was my first large investment with no (or maybe minimal) help from my parents, and I paid for it with my very first scholarship earnings. It is also my most convenient networking tool, and has all of my important editing programs for the digital side of my education. For this reason, I think it would have been worth it to invest in a Kensington Notebook Lock. They run about $50, and look just like those things you see in most colleges holding the projector to a table. They're not pretty, but that would be devastating to have my apartment robbed and lose it!
I could type for hours on things I wish I'd thought of, but I'll leave it at these three for now. Until I think of 20 more things tomorrow, that is.
1.) The number one thing I wish I had known about is Charles Schwab Bank. Now, this bank is recommended on many travel sites, and for good reason. There are no foreign ATM fees, and they even go so far as to issue you a rebate once a month on the cumulative total of ATM fees other banks charge you. Furthermore, there is no minimum balance! Victory for us frugal students! Another great benefit is the ability to link your Charles Schwab account to an account elsewhere, making it easy to transfer between the two. I love this feature, as it allows me to avoid the $5 + 3% fee my bank would be charging me, by simply transferring a moderate amount into the Charles Schwab account each week.
The only downside I have found so far, is that the "Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking account" is ONLY available in conjunction with a brokerage account. This isn't a major issue, since the brokerage account has no minimum balance, and can simply remain a 'ghost account' until the time you wish to use it (if ever). I don't intend to use mine, and know little to nothing about brokerage accounts, but from what I have read, its not easy to get your money back once you start "investing" at this bank. Stick with the checking account!
2.) Another thing I wish I had invested in with time to spare is some Pacsafe gear. It's not cheap, but they have great reviews and would make me feel so much safer. I've grown up in an extremely cautious household, so I'm trying to brace myself for the worst. The Pacsafe TravelSafeTM 20L (or any other size) is about $90 on Amazon. It's a wire-lined mesh bag with a lock. Try getting into that without a key! The other one I would've liked is the Pacsafe Luggage Rfidsafe 50 Passport and Credit Card Protector. This prevents your information from being stolen magnetically, I believe. Either way, its proven to work. These two in conjunction would be best for someone whose planning on living a bit of a nomadic life, with nowhere to safely keep valuables. I think they'd be useful just for subways and airports though.
3.) My laptop is a very important item for me. It was my first large investment with no (or maybe minimal) help from my parents, and I paid for it with my very first scholarship earnings. It is also my most convenient networking tool, and has all of my important editing programs for the digital side of my education. For this reason, I think it would have been worth it to invest in a Kensington Notebook Lock. They run about $50, and look just like those things you see in most colleges holding the projector to a table. They're not pretty, but that would be devastating to have my apartment robbed and lose it!
I could type for hours on things I wish I'd thought of, but I'll leave it at these three for now. Until I think of 20 more things tomorrow, that is.
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