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Yes, I am a college student travel blogger. And no, I haven\u2019t studied abroad.<\/p>\n
It is one of the most frequent questions that I am asked. I respond \u201cno\u201d and wait for their reaction and follow-up statement that\u2019s something along the polite version of \u201cHow the hell are you a travel blogger then?\u201d<\/p>\n
This is not one of the posts to bash everyone who has chosen to study abroad. In fact, I think it is one of the most rewarding things a person can do in their lifetime. If a good opportunity comes about, take it.<\/p>\n
I went to college with the mindset that I was going to study abroad. I was excited and researched everything from \u2018A Semester at Sea\u2019 to a year in Australia to six weeks galloping around Europe. I dreamt of saying I survived college in another country, that I met many friends from all around the world, that I was fully submerged in a new culture.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a once in a lifetime adventure, and those who venture into the unknown journey only return happy and full of newfound knowledge. There\u2019s absolutely nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n
The truth is, I chose not to study abroad because of the cost<\/strong> that comes along with it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Semester at Sea came with a price tag of $25,000. Australia would have been a solid $20,000, and six weeks in Europe $11,000. I will be the first to admit that I have a fear of debt and that I would not enjoy the views, sites, or experiences knowing that I had thousands of dollars (with interest) looming over my head.<\/p>\n Studying abroad is easy, and that is what makes it so pricey. Universities do an A+ job of finding you a place to live, things to do, and excursions to adventure on. They\u2019ll book a convenient flight with a well-known airline so your mind will be set at ease. It\u2019s all so nice, but so unaffordable.<\/p>\n It just wasn\u2019t in my budget.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When looking at the big picture, I was frustrated. Were the loans worth it? My inner wanderlust had been pounding for years. In high school I waited to leave, I got talked into college where I still wanted to leave, and then I was discovering I\u2019d have to wait another three years before I can do anything about it. Finding out Santa wasn\u2019t real was bad, but this felt so much worse.<\/p>\n Frustrated, I needed to make sense of why I should wait – so I did some math.<\/p>\n Already planning to go to Europe once I graduated, I laid out costs. 12 weeks came to a budget around $4,000. This included everything. Flights, accommodation, food, activities, and hidden expenses. This was monumental compared to the $11,000 for 6 weeks through study abroad. In simpler terms it meant this:<\/p>\n On my own, spending twice as long in Europe cost 60% less.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whew! And I realized waiting those years were worth it. I could continue to work, save up more money, and travel at lesser costs.<\/p>\n I also realized that studying abroad isn\u2019t necessarily the adventure travel I dreamt of.<\/p>\n I like to camp, which is never expensive. I can sleep under the stars. Hiking is mostly free. Jumping off cliffs is mostly free. I like to couchsurf, which is free. I\u2019m happier sleeping outside, therefore paying extra for hotels and apartments doesn\u2019t make much sense.<\/p>\n My trips this far have been short, but powerful. I\u2019ve managed to spend weeks flying, adventuring, resorting, and discovering while still saving money for travel ahead. I\u2019m a travel blogger and traveling is what I do, but the responsibility of school and jobs mean I travel less but appreciate more. I don\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n![\"IMG_8438-edited\"](\"https:\/\/img.shaleewanders.com\/2016\/01\/IMG_8438-edited-1024x1024.jpg\")
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