Package from my Squirrels & Keeping in Touch with the States

What a great start to my week... I got a little care package from my sorority today! Gotta love my Alpha Gam sisters.

Someone knows me a little too well and put Reese's-- my absolute favorite food ever-- in there. Thanks, Lindsay! 

It gave me the idea for this blog post...how do you stay in touch with family, friends, news, and everything else in America while abroad? Well I surely won't say that I know the best way, but for what it's worth, here's my way of not losing touch...

Getting a card or package always makes me feel happy. It reminds me that I have such great family and friends to go back to in the USA! Postcards are essential and won't break your bank. Send a few! (I also plan on buying one from every place I visit, as a keepsake kind of thing.)

Bring some photos of home for your room abroad. When I'm feeling homesick, I take a look and I feel a little better, every time.

"WhatsApp" is definitely very convenient, and I'd recommend it for anyone going abroad. I have the app on my iPhone, but it's also available for blackberries, the phones that my program uses for its students. Since it uses data/ wifi, it makes keeping in touch with my parents and friends as easy as a regular text! Viber is similar, but also offers a calling option. The trick with that one is that you have to confirm your phone number via text to use it, and since my phone was already on airplane mode (to essentially put it out of service until I get back), I couldn't set it up on my American phone once I got here. If you have the chance before you go, do it! Since I can still use wifi though-- although it's very wishy-washy in all of Spain-- I can FaceTime anyone with an iPhone.

That being said for the iPhone, I would bring it, regardless of whether or not you plan on using that as your phone abroad. My program offers phones for a great deal, mainly just data and calls between us students. However, it's nice to have my iPhone as a camera and for apps like Instagram and Snapchat. I turned on Airplane Mode while on the plane to Spain, and plan on leaving it that way until I return. You can still use wifi while in Airplane Mode, which I didn't know before.

Skype is a wonderful invention. It makes it so easy to talk to those you love! I skyped with my grandma the other day, and it put a huge smile on my face. While abroad, the internet really is a lifesaver. I can still email and use Facebook, and access any other social media site for that matter. For me, the hardest part about staying in touch is the time difference-- 6 hours difference in Sevilla, and keeping in touch while traveling (because for my Spanish phone, I only have a plan within Spain).

Finally, I'd suggest making a blog. While it isn't the same as talking to people individually, it is a great way to let others know what you're up to and share pictures. I look forward to having my blog as a keepsake for when I return home. Not only is it a great way to communicate, but a great way to remember your incredible experiences.

Thanks again, Alpha Gam! Can't wait to see you all for the spring semester.