It's a Rainy 67 Degrees

With winds in the 17 mph range, just like a summer in San Francisco!! This excites me because I have been there and dealt with that with the weather in San Francisco, and if the weather in Aber is similar, I think I can handle it better than I thought.

Learning this, however, made me think back to my study abroad orientation and something they said: "Be ready to research."

Trust me, I obsessively researched immediately after the seminar, but with the information overload things weren't allowed to set in fully.  And now, when it is more real and approaching quickly, relearning this information is more helpful and necessary than just interesting, not to mention more up-to-date.

My suggestion is to find the biggest local news organization in your soon to be home.  This would not only come in handy when you are actually there, but they will have the most recent and important information for you area.  Mine is easy, it's the British Broadcasting Corporation, a.k.a, the BBC.  On the BBC Mid Wales homepage, there is an entire section dedicated to Aber Life.  You never know what information you can find that will affect you until you look.

There is an entire booklet on things to research and prepare for but there are a few things that are key:

• Contingency Plans: Find the nearest U.S. Embassy
• Money: Find out how your bank works abroad, so they don't think your card or account is hacked
• Research travel: trains, planes, and automobiles
• Some places don't have as structured road systems and you should be prepared to see weird things
• Some places have efficient and effective rail systems, something that not all of us have done here in the U.S. (it's called Amtrak here)
• Communication: Internet and Cellphones are different in each country and can be expensive if you're not prepared
• Currency: It isn't seemly to fumble with coins because you have NO clue what the currency is like where you are, just be aware
• Utilities: It is a good idea to be aware of what to expect with Plumbing and Electricity
• If you're in Europe, it's called a bidet and know there may not be a shower stall
• If you're in Africa, yes it could be a concrete hole in the ground and your shower could be a bucket
• Know what adapters you need and have a few, we are an electrically-driven society

The last thing for me is tipping and the like.  This gets confusing and it's hard to research because it can be very personal to you, and there are situations that you will run into where people will expect you to pay because you are American.  One should be kind, but also not allow oneself to be taken advantage of. As I go, I will try to note where and when these situations happen so when you encounter them yourselves, you'll have an idea? Hopefully.

Thanks y'all,
Jessa