10 Amazing Ways to Spend Time Abroad
1. Internship
What better way to complement your time abroad than to gather some work experience in a foreign land? You’ll be able to add worthwhile experience to your resume and all the while be able to pick up a new language in a different country. Doing an internship while away is a great way to open your views to other cultures and life as you fully participate in it.
GEOS offers many internships inside and outside of our school locations which allow our interns the ability to get into an internship that’s relevant to their career of choice. Interns are also able to participate in our languages courses that can help them communicate more effectively in the native tongue, a huge boost to both their overall work experience and resume.
2. Language Course
When you travel abroad chances are you’re going to a place with its own language and customs. If you’re like most of the world you probably only speak one language which will make day-to-day communication with the locals a bit of a challenge.
Thankfully GEOS can provide you with a language course during your stay so you’ll be able to get by on a very basic level of communication. If you plan on staying longer you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in the culture and language more and of course in turn be able to communicate on a higher level. The courses wouldn’t prevent you from exploring the city either, as you’d be studying in the mornings and have the afternoons all to yourself.
3. Volunteering
Similar to the internship abroad, but often without any compensation. When you work as a volunteer you’re f course offering your abilities free of charge for a noble cause. One example is the WOOF initiative, where students and adults alike join and go overseas to work on organic farms for families or fair trade companies. In return they’re often given free room and board, but the experience can vary from person to person.
Volunteer work may not seem very rewarding, however on a resume its show you’re willing and able to do what it takes to get work and experience at any cost. Mix in the fact you’ll be overseas in a whole new place make volunteering a more exciting prospect. GEOS can help you plan out your trip and arrange the perfect volunteer experience that will help you accomplish your goals and polish your resume.
4. Geocaching
Hidden all over the world in the vast majority of countries are Geocaches. Geocaches are small containers someone else has hidden in a specific spot marked by GPS coordinates or by a riddle. Your task is to simply find the container using the coordinates or by solving the riddle and log your visit if you find it.
To get started all you need is a geocaching.com (free) account and the app for your phone and you’re ready to go. Simply choose a cache nearby and using your smartphones GPS you can navigate your way to it. The community online is very helpful and so long as you follow the rules and always place the cache back exactly where you find it you’ll have a great time exploring the city while also hunting down this 21st century treasure box.
5. Free Walking Tour Excursions
There’s more to the city than just your home location and the airport and through free walking tours you can explore every nook and cranny one neighborhood at a time. Tour types can range from long to short depending on how much free time you have and they can be found in many ways. Some of them we’ve already mentioned such as geocaching which will get you out and exploring the city as you hunt for the cache.
GEOS also provided walking tours for free during your stay and you’ll be led around the city by one of our locally sourced tour guides who know all the ins and outs of your destination. If you’re feeling more adventurous we’re able to provide you with information on other local tour guides for specific types of tours such as touring important historical sites.
6. Tours on Wheels
Like the walking tours but faster in some ways. Through a bus tour you’ll be able to really get a view of the city and local flavor of each neighborhood you pass through. Some cities offer hop on and hop off services which allows you to really explore each area in depth before jumping back on and going to the next.
Combine this activity with some of the others like a walking tour or Geocaching and you’ll have a fun filled afternoon of walking and exploring you new home in a whole new way. GEOS can recommend you which tours are the best and in some cases we even have discounts to many of them which means you’ll really be able to explore more of each area in as much detail as possible.
7. Community Festivals
Whether you’re abroad learning the language or just visit you’ll want to be immersed in the local culture to really embrace all your destination has to offer. Community events and festivals are one of the best ways to do so as you’ll be in a large crowd of people and be able to participate in something completely new at the same time. Be it in Mexico’s Cinco De Mayo or Germanys Christkindlesmarkt you’ll want to experience the flare of these cultural events first hand.
If there’s not any big holiday festivals going on you should check out the local markets and smaller street festivals taking place nearly every week in most large urban centers.
Music festivals, food markets, city specific holidays.
8. Eating
Are you going to eat McDonalds while you’re away or are you going to grab some of the local delicacy? Of course you’re probably going to go for that Gyro, a side of tapas, or a plate of Haggis if you’re feeling brave. Whether it’s through a mix of flavors or singe flavor cooked just the right way food is one of the best ways to truly experience a culture in a single (or multiple) sittings.
When you go with GEOS you’ll be able to experience food like a local as you explore cities where many dishes were first created and served. Many of schools are located near restaurants and cafes that vary in plethora of cuisine choices. In addition some schools offer a community potluck where students are encourages to make or buy a traditional dish from their country and share it with fellow students.
9. Outdoor Activities
The best way to get to know a new city and or landscape is to simply explore it. Some of the best ways of doing so always involve some form of physical activity such as biking, walking, or even rock climbing and water sports. Many of these are rented out to tourists or you can find day trips from the local tourist information center, however GEOS offers some as well depending on the time of year and your destination of choice.
10. Camping
For the nature lover camping is probably the best way to really take in a new environment. Limited by only nature itself when you go camping you’re surrounded by an unsettling yet comforting sense of the unknown as you make camp for the night. In some locations the air is clean and a clear enough to see out into space and gaze upon the wonder of the Milky Way as it arcs high above the night sky overhead. Camping can be a challenge to some but with our guides it’s as easy as pitching a tent.