Tag: money

Multimedia Report

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Thought this video, I interview my roommate Rachel on her experience studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain. I asked her 10 questions to hopefully help people get a better idea on what its like to go abroad. Coming from Baltimore, Maryland Rachel explains that she always knew she wanted to study abroad. Her brother had previously studied abroad in Barcelona, and she had gotten the chance to visit him while he was abroad and she absolutely loved it. She explains how when she visited she got the chance to experience Barcelona nightlife and had the time of her life. Having the advantage of her brother already studying here, he was able to give her tips and information on Barcelona life to help better prepare her for her time abroad. The next question asked had to do about the actual school par of being abroad and that is what her favorite class she is taking is. Rachel said her favorite class was Fashion and Society with her professor Fred. Fred is Rachels favorite teacher and they have become very close over the semester. The next thing talked about was food. Rachel explains her love for tapas and how that there are many different options to choose from when it comes to food, like Italian and sushi. The next thing Rachel explains is her favorite day. She talks about when she first got here, her and her friends went up to a place called the bunkers, which looks over the entire city of Barcelona. She explained how cool it was to see the entire city and that she got super close with her roommates and will always remember that day.

Rachel and I at the Bunkers

View of Barcelona from the Bunkers

Next, Rachel was asked her favorite travel experience. She said that her recent trip to Switzerland was her favorite. She said that it was her favorite because she went with a huge group of all her study abroad friends and that they all stayed in a big airbnb together and did so many fun activities. She explained how beautiful Switzerland was and that the activities they did included skiing in the Swiss alps, hiking, and paragliding.

Rachel and I in Switzerland

 

View of the sunset over Lake Thun

 

Next, she talks about money. Before coming to Barcelona, Rachel worked all summer to save up money for study abroad. With even doing that, she said she spent a lot more than she expected. This is because she wanted to be able to experience everything she could while abroad, and that traveling expenses really added up. The harder adjustment she had to make was the language barrier. Before coming to Barcelona Rachel did not know much Spanish, but after being here for four months she says she has defiantly picked up on it. She then explains how she defiantly wants to come back to Barcelona in the future and have a reunion with all of her friends she made here. Lastly Rachel says that she would defiantly recommend studying abroad to people and they is was a life changing experience that defiantly matured her while participating in the CEA study abroad program fall 2018.

 

4 Easy, Cheap and Healthy Hostel Meals

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Throughout my time abroad, I am always traveling. We all know that traveling is expensive, but there are many ways to save money, especially when it comes to food. A lot of people believe that staying in hostels is “sketchy” or “cheap”, but now days, there are many hostels that are nicer than many hotels. One of the best amenities when it comes to staying in a hostel is the guest kitchen. This means you can cook your own meals saving you a ton of money rather than eating out for every meal, which can really add up. Sometimes, thinking of something easy as well as healthy to make can be difficult. Especially when you are traveling, you don’t know what you are going to be able to find at the supermarket. With that being found, I have found a few recipes to make while staying in a hostel. All of them are made with easy to find ingredients that are healthy and are simple to make!

  1. GRILLED CHEESE, HAM, AND TOMATO SANDWICH: Sometimes hostels serve breakfast so if yours does, try and take some bread, ham, and cheese back to your fridge so you don’t have to go out and buy it yourself. If this is the case, all you would need to buy is some veggies like tomato. You can even take out the ham to make it vegetarian.

Kitchen tools needed: Frying pan and oil, sharp knife, spatula (or get creative with what you’ve got)
Ingredients:2 slices of bread, Ham and cheese slices,Tomato, sliced

HOW TO MAKE IT:

 -Make a sammie with all of the ingredients and throw it on the frying pan.
– Turn over once. Welcome to some gooey goodness, with a bit of protein and veggies.

2. PERSONAL PIZZAS: If you are with a group of people, have everyone contribute by buying one ingredient/topping for the pizza. Cooking the pizza could also be fun when cooking with a big group! Even if you are not with a group, see if other people in the hostel want to join!

Kitchen tools needed: Oven, toaster oven, grill, or if you have to, a frying pan and oil
Ingredients:Pitas, pre-made pizza crust, or bread slices from breakfast, Tomato sauce, Any cheese or other toppings you like on your pizza

HOW TO MAKE IT: 

-Lay out your “pizza crust” and spread with tomato sauce.
– Cook your crust in your kitchen tool of choice for 2-3 minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn’t burn!
-Take the crusts out and top them with whatever ingredients you want.

3. PENUT BUTTER BANANA SNADWICH: Perfect for quick and easy breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack! Instead of a basic peanut butter sandwich, add the banana for some protein and extra flavor.

Kitchen tools needed: Knife
Ingredients: Bread (from breakfast), Peanut Butter, Bananas, sliced (you can also use strawberries or blueberries)

HOW TO MAKE IT:

– Spread peanut butter on bread.
-Slice banana and put on top of the peanut butter.
-Assemble your sandwich.

4: VEGETABLE STIR FRY: Although this one may be a bit tricky to find the ingredients depending on where you are staying, it is defiantly the healthiest option of the recipes. You can also add chicken or beef for some added protein.

Kitchen tools needed: Frying pan and oil, Sharp knife if cutting your own vegetables, Stovetop burner or hot plate, pot to cook rice, Spatula or spoon to stir vegetables
Ingredients: Frozen bag of assorted vegetables (you can find this at most supermarkets around the world, but you can always pick the veggies yourself), Brown Rice, Teriyaki or Soy sauce

HOW TO MAKE IT:

-Cook rice according to directions on package.
-While the rice is cooking, add oil to frying pan and bring to medium high heat. Add veggies and cook according to package. If you’re using fresh vegetables, slice them and cook on frying pan for 6-7 minutes or until slightly brown, stirring frequently.
-Add vegetables and cooked rice together, and top with sauce.

Heres a video I found on quick & easy hostel meals

Hopefully with these recipes you can save money while traveling, as well as eat a yummy healthy meal!