study abroad Archives - sateless suitcase

My Honest Thoughts on Solo Travel

I'm not a solo traveler. I never claimed to be one, I never used the label "solo female traveler" or the hashtag #wegosolo. Yet there were a few occasions I traveled more or less by myself, and my latest getaway to Vienna and Bratislava was even a classical solo trip. But honestly, I'm conflicted about solo travel. I know, many travel bloggers rave about the experience of traveling solo. They all live by the phrase "alone is not lonely" or "solo travel is the best way to travel". But you know what? I'm not going to write a post like that [...]

By Julika|2015-04-03T08:13:14+02:002014/08/31|Categories: Specials|Tags: Austria, Bratislava, Dublin, Europe, Lisbon, Paris, Portugal, Slovakia, study abroad, thoughts, Vienna|37 Comments

Studying Abroad in Europe – Myths and Reality

Studying abroad in Europe always comes with a reputation. Among all students the European study abroad programs are rarely mentioned without some of these words accompanying it: Beer! Shots! Party! Beach! Surf classes! Sangria! More Party! Drunk girls! Hot surfer guys! A beer at the beach. The essence of studying abroad? After all, the European study abroad program -- called "Erasmus" -- allows students from all over Europe to study in any other European country without paying anything. Moreover, you'll even get a financial aid ranging from 80 to 800 €uro (yeah, guess how much I got) depending on your [...]

By Julika|2013-05-29T12:31:51+02:002013/01/25|Categories: Specials|Tags: Europe, Lisbon, Portugal, study abroad, thoughts|27 Comments

The 2012 Review: Photos, Numbers and Lessons

2012 has been quite the year for me. When I think back, it's crazy how it went by so fast - yes, such a cliché, I know. But there really has been a lot going on this year. It has been a year full of difficult decisions, travel, and life lessons. From finishing my amazing semester abroad in Portugal to starting Sateless Suitcase, my year had several ups and downs. Here is my summary of this year's numbers, photos - and a few (travel-related) lessons I learned. 2012's Monthly Numbers January Days spent in Portugal: 30. Sunny days in Portugal: 30. [...]

By Julika|2013-06-14T13:20:18+02:002012/12/27|Categories: Specials|Tags: Europe, study abroad, thoughts|18 Comments

5 Things You Really Should Do in Lisbon

I love Lisbon. I fell in love with the gorgeous Portuguese capital more than four years ago and this love has been growing stronger ever since. The five months I lived there in 2011/2012 have been filled with enduring sunshine, wonderful people and abundance of indescribable beauty. I dream of moving back every day! Although Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal, it is still pretty small compared to the other Western European capitals. To be honest, if you wanted to see all major sights, you could do that in less than two days: You would go see the Castelo, take [...]

By Julika|2022-01-05T15:04:09+01:002012/10/25|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Portugal|Tags: Europe, Lisbon, medieval, Portugal, study abroad|76 Comments

What Happens in Lagos…

During our last weeks in Lisbon my friend Kathi and I really wanted to see one of THE most famous places in Portugal that everyone has been raving about... After having fallen in love with the Algarve in October, we were eager to return and looking forward to finally experiencing Lagos - the city with the most gorgeous beaches, the hottest surf teachers and its non-stop party. There was just one little hook - we were going down there in mid-January 2012! Honestly, we really didn't know what to expect of a beach city in the middle of the winter [...]

By Julika|2013-05-07T04:44:58+02:002012/08/08|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Portugal|Tags: Algarve, Europe, Portugal, study abroad|4 Comments

10 Things I Love Most About Portugal

Without further ado - I love Portugal. Here are the ten things I adore the most about this amazing country Sunsets. Portugal has the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen… I never got sick of taking pictures. Especially in combination with palm trees. Pastries. Pastéis de nata – so heavenly, no words could describe... if I could eat these for the rest of my life, I would be the happiest girl in the world. Beaches. Absolutely no need to explain any further. Seafood. Grilled fish dishes – to die for! Manuline Architecture. Late Gothic, one-of-a-kind-Portuguese, simply beautiful, my art [...]

By Julika|2013-05-07T04:56:48+02:002012/07/18|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Portugal|Tags: Algarve, Architecture, Europe, Lisbon, Portugal, study abroad|20 Comments

Portugal’s Algarve – A Dream Come True

Do you have this one spot in the world, where you would like to spend your retirement? I do. Definitely. Portugal's most gorgeous coastline is where all dreams of surreal beautiful beaches, rough sublime waves and the most incredible rock formations combine... I know, there a bazillion amazing beaches out there, but I’m convinced that you can’t find any beach within Europe that compares to the ones on the Algarve. During my semester in Lisbon I took two weekend trips down to the Algarve, and ever since swore to myself that I will so have to come back for a [...]

By Julika|2012-12-04T11:13:22+01:002012/06/25|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Portugal|Tags: Algarve, Europe, Portugal, study abroad|2 Comments

My Semester Abroad in an Undeservingly Short Summary

Oh, how should I ever be able to summarize my semester in Portugal adequately, and squeeze one little blog post – even my original tumblr on my time in Lisbon didn't even cover half the wonderful experiences I had in those sun-filled five months. I will try to keep it short: After a rather elaborate application process, I got offered a place to study at Universidade Nova de Lisboa in the fall semester 2011/2012. Having fallen in love with Portugal, and especially Lisbon, during a vacation in 2008, I always knew that I would eventually have to come back for a longer period of [...]

By Julika|2014-01-28T16:25:53+01:002012/06/05|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Portugal|Tags: Europe, Lisbon, Portugal, study abroad|3 Comments