Buses aren't as bad as I remember.

Before I get started, I want to mention that I'm not talking about school buses or chartered trips. I'm thinking specifically about taking a trip someplace and using the bus to get there.

My first bike ride was when I was in 7th grade. My Mom decided to send me on a bus to visit my best friend down in Virginia. In a car, the trip would have taken about 7 hours depending on traffic and all the unexpected things that pop up from time to time.

I was glad for the chance to take the trip. Sure I was young, but I wanted to see my friend, and I was more than willing to make the trip even if it was going to take 26 hours to get there.

(This is a little disconnected from the trip I was going to write about. Let me finish my positive thoughts and then I'll turn around and complain about bus stations.)

Anyway, those younger bus trips were not back to back and I got to spend a week with my best friend and really enjoy my time in Virginia. However, that didn't make either trip enjoyable. A bus is not a comfortable place to sleep at night, and big city bus stations are not nearly as nice as airport terminals. At the airport, someone keeps track of most of your stuff for you, but at the bus terminal, you have to you have to carry everything with you. (This is not fun, especially in the bathrooms.)

Anyway, I recently took an unexpected trip on the bus from Kearney, Nebraska to my new home in Fairplay, Colorado. It wasn't too bad. I left at 2 am and was able to sleep comfortably most of the night and even got a few things done. I was not as impressed with the last part of the trip. The second bus was a mess and made me wish I was on a regular bus.

OK, now let me complain about bus terminals. I don't know why I expected the terminal to have a wifi signal, but I did. I didn't find one that I could access, so I ended up dragging all my stuff down 7 or 8 blocks of Denver trying to find a place to pick up a signal. I did finally manage to find one, but it was not fun dragging my bags all over the city. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the first person to be stuck there for 6 hours waiting for a transfer to happen.

So, for the most part taking the bus isn't as bad as I remember, but there's still a long way to go.

Is studying abroad worth doing?

So a friend of mine asked for my opinion on taking a semester to study abroad. I personally never got a chance to do this, but I definitely have some thoughts about these programs. So keep reading if you are considering a semester in another country.

I'm sure your first question goes something like this, "if you've never studied abroad, where do you get the right to say anything about the subject?" Well, I may not have had the chance to see the world while I was at college, but many of my friends have participated in such programs. I feel that I can provide a decent opinion based on these experiences.

I think that anyone thinking about studying abroad will have two major concerns. The first is the cost of a semester overseas. The second is where to study. There is a growing movement, especially among religious institutes, to have a required semester in another country. While this adds to the expense of the student's education, it also gives them the opportunity to obtain additional financial aid (or loans) to pay for the trip. For other students the money is available, but is increasingly harder to obtain.

Figuring out where to study is also tricky because there are so many opportunities out there. An interest and ability in a specific language can help with the selection, but not always. Maybe it's just my interest in most of the world and experiencing everything that makes me say that. I don't think I could choose just one place.

Now for some issues that I've heard about from friends who did not have exceptional experiences. One problem comes when the program doesn't match the advertisements. "Don't know our language? No problem." That's all good and fine on paper, but what happens when you get to a foreign country and no one speaks enough English to communicate with you? Other students may have trouble adjusting to the culture with no options for them to get help.

With that in mind, I should clarify that not every experience is bad. In fact, most students have had wonderful experiences. Life-long friends, languages skills, and a broader world view are among the many benefits that can be obtained from a semester in another country. Remember that you are going as a student rather than a tourist. This means that you get to experience this country through the eyes of the natives.

So, do the benefits outweigh the dangers? Should you invest all the money in a gamble? If you can afford it, I say go for it. When else in your life are you likely to have 3-4 months that you can  spend in another country? With that being said, do yourself a favor, and do your homework. Look for a program that will help you in your career path. (Don't travel until you have a major.) Also, make sure that the program you are signed up for has a good history and check with anyone you know that has worked with them in the past.

Well, hopefully this opinion will come in handy and help you decide to get out and see the world. Have a great trip!