Being in a new environment is exciting, invigorating, and can be an unforgettable experience. But it also comes with its risks; whereas in the US you might know what situations and people to avoid, that might not be quite as clear for you in your host country. 

The point of this blog post is not to scare you. The point is to remind you that in all your excitement you should still have your head about you, while not being excessively paranoid. 

So what do you need to read up on before you go so that you're safe? 

Please start with this State page on tips for those traveling abroad. It will tell you how to register with the State Department in case there's an emergency and they need to contact you. It'll also cover tips on documents, health, and how to prevent yourself from being a victime of a crime. This State page is also great – a must-read.

When you're done with that page, go to this State Department page and select your host country from the drop-down menu. Click 'Go' and you'll find information specific to your country. Start reading from  "Threats to Safety and Security." It's important to read this stuff. For example, I just found out that by law, everyone in Belgium has to have an ID with them at all times. And now I learned that in Argentina drivers often ignore traffic laws and drive too fast. Best to learn this stuff the easy way, not the hard way...

There's also a good British site that's similar to the State Department's site. Find your host country then click on "Safety and Security." Good to triangulate your sources...

Next, we recommend you check out HTH Worldview's YouTube channel. You'll find lots of tips on health and safety while abroad. Just click on any one with a title that interests you. 

And if you're not feeling like clicking on any links, take a look at this list, culled from various sites, of some things to be aware of:

• To start with, make a photocopy of everything important, like your cards, license and passport.
• Keep a low profile. The bad guys might think you're more vulnerable if they realize you're foreign.
• Learn as much as you can about your host country and city. 
• ***If you drink, drink sensibly. Sensibly. Sensibly. Sensibly. (Drink sensibly.)***
• Make sure somebody always knows where you are, as much as possible.
• Don't wear clothes and jewelry that might make you look like a rich tourist. 
• Carry the minimum number of valuables.
• ***Learn about local laws and customs***
• Take only official-looking taxis.
• Don't be dumb.

Safety isn't something to take likely. Most likely nothing will happen to you, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to minimize your risk. Be smart, but don't be scared. 


by Fedor Zarkhin

Buying your plane ticket to get there is one thing... Travelling on location is a whole 'nother subject. Depending on where you are your options might be different, but either way, take the time to do some research on local deals. 

Let's say you're somewhere in Europe and you want to explore the continent for cheap. You're not sure when you'll have free time in the four months you'll be there, but you do know you'll want to travel for about five days in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. 

Unspecified as your plans might be, that is not a problem! Eurail is perfect for vague plans. What you can do is buy a pass that allows you unlimited travel during a set amount of days within a set timeframe inside the countries of your choice. Could be a good deal!

Or if you're in New Zealand, you should know that flying is often cheaper than driving or taking the train. You should also know that there are loads of bus companies, and there are at least three kinds of bus passes.

If you're in Brussels, you'll use the metro often. You could get a season pass right away and save yourself a lot of money.

... and the list goes on. The point is – do your research on transportation at your destination. It could save you money, and you'll probably come away from your reading with new-found respect for public transportation.

On a scale of one to ten, how cheap is travel?

Yup, that's right... Not that cheap at all.

But fortunately there's things that we can do to limit the expenses. In other words, going abroad doesn't have to break the bank. You just have to be smart about how you spend your money... But that's easier said than done, of course, as at least I've experienced. You might be smarter about money than myself, but I most definitely wish I'd read some of these articles before I went abroad.

Whether or not you're a fan of the "liberal" media you shouldn't pass up this NPR story on how to travel cheap. It's geared towards those with short-term travel plans, but that doesn't mean it doesn't apply to you. Take a look, if you're curious.

Next, we have the New York Times. What, you thought they write only about "big" stuff? Nope! In fact, there's a New York Times blog dedicated to travelling cheap. It's a good resource and a fun read, too.

One question: Are you a student?

Thought so... And we've got the resources for you: Check out this site and this site and this site, all three of them dedicated to info for the backpacker or student traveler looking to explore the world without putting his or her parents in debt for the next ten years. 

So don't just assume that going abroad is going to be expensive. It probably won't be cheap, sure, but there's lots of things you can do to minimize the cost. And that's particularly important when you're thinking about the weekend trips you'll be taking while abroad. So don't let money get in the way of your having a great time!

by Fedor Zarkhin

Who better to help you prepare to travel abroad than a 200 year old agency with 50,000 employees that has Hillary Clinton at the helm?

Lucky for you, the Department of State has a webpage dedicated to information for students planning to travel abroad. We really recommend you check it out – you're more than likely to learn useful stuff you didn't know before. And it's also something you might want to check out while abroad, as well.

Ever wondered what you'd do if you lost your passport? Precious as that little booklet might be, it's not like it's less susceptible to theft than a wallet or a cell phone. On the DoS site you'll find clear instructions and the numbers to call in case this tragedy happens to you.

Taking some medications and not sure about availability and/or legality abroad? Not a problem. Don't scour travel blogs and forums to learn about such things – check out the State site and learn what you need to learn from a reliable source. 

Are your parents worried about you getting mugged? After you read the State site you'll have things to say to them to soothe their fears – you could even memorize the consulate's phone number. 

Here's a sampling of the kinds of tips and info that are available on the site:

Packing
Local Laws
Driving Abroad
For GLBT travelers
Vaccinations
Mental Health
Victim of a Crime
Absentee Ballot (you are voting this November, right?)
...and much more

All this and more is available at studentsabroad.state.gov. It's one of the few places on the internet where very important information is reliable. So take a look before you go abroad, and make sure to remember it if ever you're not sure how to handle a situation.

by Fedor Zarkhin

Soon – very soon – you'll be running frantically around your apartment and trying to figure out what to take with you abroad. Some of you will pack for only a few months, while others will pack for a whole semester. Either way, the task is not one to be taken lightly. You want to make sure you've got what you need, both for the travel to your destination and for your stay. 

There are a few things to consider when packing your things. Obviously you want to have everything you'll need when abroad. But you don't want to be hauling pounds upon pounds of stuff you'll use once or twice. You also want to think about what products you won't be able to get abroad (peanut butter?), what will help you feel comfortable, what kinds of situations might arise requiring different kinds of clothes, etc.

This New York Times article suggests packing the bare minimum, especially now that airlines often charge for extra luggage. This article also has lots of unexpected tips on kinds of clothes to take. And it would make sense to heed advice in this article – the tips are based on interviews with flight crews, the "pros" of packing.


If nothing else, however, it's important to have a checklist. Sit down and brainstorm everything you could possibly need to take with you. Decide how often you'll want to do laundry, how many kinds of occasions you want to have clothes for, and what kinds of electronics you'll need, for example. Make an exhaustive list, then tweak it to accomodate the fact that there are no jumbo jets with the express function of moving your entire life's possessions abroad.

This page has a great checklist you can use. Highly recommended.

If you want to know what'll be provided to you on site, go to the hosting university's website and find the international handbook. It'll tell you things like whether you'll get a set of sheets or not (and more often than not you'll get a set). 

by Fedor Zarkhin

Don't worry, you're almost there... almost done with the semester, almost on the plane, almost settling into your apartment, almost chasing down heads of state and filing copy.

But not just yet.

Among the numerous things you need to do before you go is attend a pre-departure orientation session for your program. So put the date on your calendar and watch your e-mail. You don't want to miss this! Below are dates and times for the orientations.

All orientations are in 134 Neff Annex except the China Info Session, which is in Tucker Forum. And if you're a Brussels students you can go to any of the three sessions available – but please tell us in advance which one you'll be going to. 

4/19 @ 4pm – Brussels
4/19 @ 5pm – Photojournalism in Germany
4/20 @ 2pm – Brussels
4/23 @ 4:30pm – China Open (Tucker Forum)
4/24 @ 2pm – Brussels
4/24 @ 5pm – Buenos Aires

See you then!

by Fedor Zarkhin

Very soon you'll be in the air, flying across an ocean on your way to a semester's worth of good times. But don't overlook the practical details in all your excitement! Going abroad can be a complicated enterprise, and you've got to think of a lot of things for things to go just right.

One of those things is buying a plane ticket. As you're probably well aware, there are many sites online that purport to offer the best fares. Although you can go to each and every one of them and compare, we humbly suggest you start with the following two sites: kayak.com and studentuniverse.com. The former allows you to search with flexible dates, and will actually search other sites for you so you can compare prices. And in my experience, it will actually find fares lower than all other sites, at least of those I've tried. The latter site, meanwhile, might find you a significantly cheaper ticket just because you're a student. 

Also, the New York Times has recently published an article about when the best time is to buy a plane ticket. If you haven't bought yours yet, check out the article. And this USA Today article has a great set of tips. And finally, this independenttraveler.com page has another great list of tips. So read up on what the experts have to say!

by Fedor Zarkhin

And this time the photo's coming all the way from Paris, taken by Alex Ethridge. Enjoy!

Though not quite as exotic as, say, Cambodia, New York City will nonetheless enthrall you and make it hard for you to leave. Once you fall into her arms, you disappear forever, as they say... but in a good way.

And this summer you can go to New York City for over a month and be an intern at a real news outlet. A REAL news outlet in the REAL New York City!

What else will you do, besides for gaining career-solidifying experience? 

Well, you should know that you'll be going with Martha Steffens, a professor of business and financial journalism at MU. She is also the chair of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers – an organization with more that 3,000 members. 

When you're not busy working on your breaking news or what have you, you'll be taking excursions with Steffens. There'll be a tour of Central Park, The Cloisters, Staten Island. Sounds nice, right? What about The New Yorker? FoxBusiness TV? Bloomberg? That's right – as participants in the program you'll get to visit these major newsrooms, meet the people running them, and get an appreciation for how they operate. 

And then you can go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Or the Museum of National History. Or the Museum of Modern Art. Or any one of the hundreds of bars, cafés, restaurants, galleries, bookstores, theaters and parks that dot the city. 

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS NEXT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18!!!! DON'T MISS IT!!!!
Here's how to apply
And here's more info on the program. 
Good luck!

Want to spend an action-packed two weeks in the capital of the world's largest country while covering an international sports event? Want to go abroad but are discouraged by the expense?

If you want international experience as a journalist – Missouri Method kind of experience, i.e. the real deal – then you should think about our China Open program. Not only is it cheap – the $2,750 program fee includes the flight and housing – it'll give you solid international experience as a journalist. What prospective employer, whether locally or internationally, won't look favorably on two weeks spent covering sports halfway across the world?

China Open is a tennis tournament held every year in China, and if you go, you'll find stories daily about a tennis player you will be assigned to. You will be published in no less than three places – Beijing Youth Daily, CCTV Channel 5, and the China Open website.

The benefits of the experience are pretty clear, we think. But what about having some fun? Once you're on the opposite side of the planet you'll also want to see some sites and go out with your new-found friends. 

So, what is there in Beijing?

Let's start with a few basic facts. First, you should know that Beijing has a population of almost 20 million. That's a third of the entire population of France, all in one city. It also happens to be the capital of China. The first walled city appeared there in the 11th century BCE – making Beijing a city over 3,000 years old. 

What about sights? Being such an old and important city, Beijing is full of historically and culturally significant things to see. Before you learn any more, I recommend taking a look at this terrific slide show. It'll give you a visual idea of the kind of world you'll be immersed in for two weeks. As you can see, Beijing has a lot to offer – from exotic food to beautiful architecture and more. 

For your reading pleasure:

For a brief overview of what to do and see, check out this Travel and Leisure article. It'll give you a primer on Beijing. 

Then, take a look at this site. Top three attractions: 1) The Forbidden City 2) The Great Wall of China 3) Tiananmen Square. Enough said...

If your folks are worried about safety, direct them to this government site on China. And then check out this site for a thorough background on Chinese history, economy, government, and more. 

And, most importantly, make sure to apply by May 1. Can't wait to see those applications!

by Fedor Zarkhin