It’s almost time!! Cádiz is so close I can feel it! Before I hop on my ten plus hour flight, there’s a couple of things left for me to do in Kansas City. As the trip nears and I’m finalizing my packing plans, I started with getting some local currency. While having a couple of extra US dollars in my wallet may be nice, it won’t serve me much good in Spain. You may ask, “but how long does it take to get euros? Where do I even start?” Well, don’t worry because I’m here to answer all of your questions.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, all this banking and money talk sounds so boring blah blah blah. Trust me, you’ll want to keep reading because who doesn’t love money? Besides, the whole process is very simple and won’t take you long at all I promise. First, we went to the commerce bank right by our house (whatever bank is closest to you will do). The conversion rate is for every one US dollar is 0.86 euros. We simply asked the lady at the desk for our desired amount of euros and the order is all complete just like that. Expect to spend between twenty-four hours and a week until your money arrives. I must say, euros are much prettier and more colorful than what I was expecting. Compared to US money, which looks very dull, euros are much more interesting. Even the coins are different!
Okay so enough about dollars and coins, now on to credit/debit cards. I currently have a debit card for food, gas etc., but will it still work abroad? The answer is yes. They will work in a foreign country, however, there will be a 3% fee every time you use it. How ridiculous is that? On top of worrying about how much money I have to spend, I have to worry about extra fees, no way! Instead, a credit card will be necessary so you don’t have to think about all of that nonsense. Just like getting your euros ordered, a credit card is just as simple. All you have to do is say you want one and set it up for foreign transactions. The only things are that you must have an adult with you so they can show ID, but other than that, nice and simple.
Oh before I forget, make sure you have travel insurance. I’m serious, it’s one of the most important things you can have while traveling abroad. It not only protects the total cost of your trip if you have any delays or cancellations, but it also protects you if you from extra costs if you have any damaged or lost luggage. As a bonus point, it will cover you for over a year after it’s purchased. Don’t worry parents, with safety and protection like this, your child will be very secure and should never face any serious, life-threatening problems (because losing one’s luggage is always a life or death matter!). However, if the world decides it’s against you, nothing goes as planned and that amazing trip you’ve always been dreaming about to The Bahamas must wait until another time, a full refund on your trip will be issued and you can use that money to get credit for another trip.
While you’re at it, why not and get medical insurance as well. My mom purchased it is a precaution in the rare, but a still possible case that I become ill or injured while overseas. You don’t want to take any chances because you never know what could happen and it’s much better to be extra safe than sorry. There’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of extra help to help you and your family ease the cost of something as important as your physical well-being. Although these steps may seem vert tedious, trust me I know, they are all just the many, important steps to getting you closer to your dream destination. Just picture yourself relaxing by the beach, or hiking that beautiful mountain, it’s all so close!
All finances and “adult topics” aside, this is my last blog before going on my big trip! I can’t believe I’m saying that in around twelve days I will be on a plane across the world, it’s all so surreal! Entering my summer before my senior year (wow has time gone by fast!) in high school, Spain will give me a chance to not only meet many incredible people and friends but to also preview what my future could be like. Since I plan to major/minor in Spanish in college and study abroad as much as I can, this is just my first step into the rest of my life. Hopefully, I will be able to be an exchange student but for life. There’s nothing that sounds more ideal and perfect than living in a Spanish speaking country. Ever since I was in preschool, I have taken Spanish and always hoped that someday I will get the opportunity to live abroad and just enjoy the world around me.
If one just stops for a minute to think, they will realize that so many countries in the world around us speak Spanish and have a huge Latin influence. Not only Spain and Latin American countries, but even many states in the United States speak Spanish. In my opinion, it’s truly incredible how just one language can unite people from all over the world! This is partly why I chose to study Spanish in the first place- to be a part of this strong global community and eventually make it a part of my everyday life. As for now, I’m signing off and I have to finish getting packed. ¡Adiós y te escribo muy pronto!
Great read. Thanks
Great blog