Spain: UAlbany in Madrid

Be prepared for schedule changes! Things come up and sometimes plans change, there is no need to freak out because you have no control over these situations most of the time.

I went to Granada with my two roommates and our host mom. We woke up before seven in the morning to catch the bus to wait in line for tickets to go through La Alhambra, a medieval castle built by the Arab Kingdom. We arrived and waited in line for 3 hours, to finally get tickets for that evening! Turns out, the passes we bought were for the most extravagant part of the castle and our tour being in the evening, we were surrounded by the beautiful starlit sky, which played an important role to the reflecting pools in this part of the castle. We were blown away by the amazing detailed engravings that make up this building and I walked away feeling so humbled by the beauty I witnessed made by man's hand that I cried!

Yes. People are always terrified of the worst-case scenarios, and that tends to hold people back from traveling. The reality is, everywhere has the potential to be "dangerous". If you let that be your main concern, you will not have any fun and incredible experiences will pass you by. Use common sense and good judgement, and there is no reason not to hop on a plane or train and just go. Be aware of your surroundings and 99 percent of the time people are always willing to help you. Most importantly, go with your GUT - trust it and trust yourself.