GRIP, Research Abroad Five Tips - Making the Most of Your Time Abroad

Penn Anthropology - Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

Lots of Penn students spend their time between different countries and are very accustomed to traveling long distances and adjusting to new places. This was not the case for me: I'm from just over an hour's drive outside Philadelphia, and these first ten days in Guatemala already constitute the greatest amount of time I've ever spent outside the state of Pennsylvania at once! Thus this time has not been the easiest or most comfortable for me, but I'm acclimating more each day. Here are five insights from my first ten days of settling in:

1. Pack something extra from home.
It might be common sense for many, but having never undertaken long-term travel before, I tried to keep my luggage as incredibly light as possible and in the process sacrificed a few comforts that could've gone a long way for me here. An American-style pillow, for example, is essentially impossible to find in the more rural area of Guatemala where I'm living, and I find myself wishing I'd brought my own. What I am incredibly grateful for is the snacks I shoved into my carry-on bag. Having a few dietary restrictions, entering into a town with a more narrow range of staple foods has been a bit of a challenge for me. My granola bars and trail mix, though, are definitely helping me adjust more gradually without so much homesickness.

2. Ask as many questions as possible.
Here in Guatemala, communications with everyone from my host family to the administrators at our workplace are entirely in Spanish. At first, I found myself struggling to know what to say and when. I quickly learned that asking questions is usually one of the easiest ways to initiate a conversation that can be both meaningful/informative and show someone how much you value their insight about their hometown or city!

3. Be smart about money!
Before leaving for abroad I didn't think to check my bank's policies on withdrawals. I learned upon arrival that while in Guatemala I'd have to pay sizeable fees to my bank in addition to ATM fees every time I withdrew Quetzales! I've since figured out an arrangement to avoid that cost but had I thought ahead and opened a new account with a different bank, I could've avoided wasting any time here in Guatemala.

4. Give yourself time alone.
As I've already explained, this experience has been very new to me. During our first few days in Guatemala, I spent time almost exclusively in the presence of others - both locals and my fellow interns - and I think that learning to be comfortable taking more time alone in my room has been integral to my feeling more settled here.

5. Take outings as a group, and think outside the Yelp-Google Maps-TripAdvisor box!
My favorite day of our summer here so far was in San Pedro (photo of our group outing there is attached!), one of the other towns situated along the lake just a short boat ride from our own. Figuring out how to travel here can be tricky, as popular apps like Yelp, for example, don't really exist in Guatemala. And though this can seem like a bad thing, it also creates an opportunity to speak with locals about what fun opportunities exist and get a fuller idea than the internet could probably ever provide!