I haven’t done any international travel in over six months. My last trip was to Ireland and Scotland. But now I’m going to Romania, and I thought I’d talk about how I’m preparing for it!
When I traveled to Belize last summer, it was for an archaeology field school. When I visited Ireland, it was a family trip. So, Belize ended up being a bit of solo travel, and Ireland was very much not. In Romania, I’ll be working at a summer camp focused on learning English.
All of these trips were pretty planned out by other people as far as lodging, reservations, and other logistics, though not in their entirety. Romania will be somewhat the same as these trips, apart from one key difference:
Romania is not a primarily English-speaking country. Only about 30% of the population speaks English, and that’s mainly younger demographics.
Like I said, I’m headed there, alongside about ten others, to teach English (pretty informally) at a summer camp. So while I will be around other English speakers, traveling to the camp is on me. Thus, it’s important that I learn some basics of Romanian.
Language Preparation
I honestly should’ve started trying to learn some basics of Romanian a lot sooner. With only about two weeks to go, I won’t be super well-versed in the language. However, I do know Spanish, which shares many similarities.
Also, I’ve written a post about the grammar, so I can use that as an easy refresher.
When traveling to any country without English as a primary language, it’d be smart not to expect to encounter English speakers. 30% of the population is a lot of people, but what if I get unlucky?
Now, this doesn’t mean I need to be fluent, but even knowing how to identify parts of speech in order to look them up can be a crucial skill.
Another good reason for me to learn Romanian is that, well, I’m there to teach English. The summer camp will have interpreters to translate for younger students, and the older students will know English enough to communicate, but what if they don’t know a word or part of speech? It would help me to know what to tell them.
I’ll want to brush up on some English, too. This might sound weird, but as a native speaker, I’m a lot less aware of certain grammar than people who took the time to learn the language.
Here’s an example: as a native English speaker, do you know what the past perfect is? What about a phrasal verb?
Obviously, if you’re not teaching English, this won’t be something for you to worry about. But it is for me.
This summer camp is pretty informal, but these kinds of questions can come up pretty easily, and I need to be ready to explain them or use them in lesson plans.
Speaking of lesson plans, as part of the preparations, I had to plan various additional activities besides the lessons. Of course, I also had to apply and interview for the job, but that was several months ago.
These plans included treasure hunt ideas, craft workshops, movies, silly tasks for an Olympic-style competition, and so much more!
Logistical Concerns
Any trip will entail a lot of logistical planning. This won’t always go your way, so planning for your plan to fail is just as important.
While my room and board are covered, there’s always a possibility of something going wrong. A flight delay, missed bus, or even just something you forgot to pack, could cause some problems.
On top of that, there’s all the paperwork and processing to deal with. Since I’m working in Romania, I have some extra concerns to handle, but here’s some things to consider:
- Visas (usually unnecessary unless you’re there for several months)
- Background checks
- Physical examinations
- Bus tickets and non-airline travel
- Giving your bank a travel notice
- Communication (phone plans, SIM cards, etc)
- Chargers/ electrical access
For my field school last year, I needed a physical. For this job, which will involve a lot of hiking and physical activity, I need both that and a background check.
Depending on where you live, the latter can take some time. For me, I had to go to my local police station for fingerprints, then send them to the other end of the state (I live in Idaho, which is pretty big) for a background check. I sent it almost two weeks ago, and I’m still waiting for it to come back.
Visa applications can take a while, so make sure you get them going ASAP if you need one.
Most of the time, you can book non-airline travel pretty easily, but knowing how expensive each option is and how long it will take can save you a lot of grief.
Bank Notices
Bank travel notices aren’t always necessary, but can ensure that nothing gets marked as fraudulent while you’re away and prevents you from using your debit or credit cards. My bank is currently blocking anything outside of the US, Mexico, and Canada, so I went ahead and let them know where I’d be. I told them about Romania as well as the location of my layover in Germany.
Phone Plans/ SIMs
When I traveled to Belize, I did not consider phone availability at all. Luckily, my provider (AT&T) grants free use of my phone plan in Latin America. That wasn’t the case in Ireland, though, and I had to rely entirely on WiFi for communication.
It’s easy to get temporary SIM cards for use in other countries, but apps like WhatsApp can save you a lot of that hassle. If you go that route, though, you’ll still be reliant on WiFi. I don’t usually use my phone that much anyway unless I’m already in a place with WiFi!
Chargers
This is another thing I didn’t even think about before visiting Ireland and Scotland.
There are so many different styles of electrical outlet around the world. While many countries near the US use the same style as us, Ireland and the UK have something different. Much of Europe uses a separate style, and there are other more obscure ones used by certain countries.
So, before you go, make sure you know what the outlets are like. You might not need an adapter, and if you forget one it wouldn’t be too hard to get once you’ve arrived.
If you handle it ahead of time, you’ll have more time to focus on enjoying your trip without worrying about charging a phone or plugging in a laptop.
Conclusion: Mentality is Key
I’m anxious. I’ll admit it.
This is my first time traveling to a country without a majority population of English speakers. (Yes, including Belize.)
It’s also my first time with any sort of English teaching job, even if it is informal.
I’ll be there for five weeks, which is longer than I’ve ever spent traveling anywhere.
But I was also nervous about going to Belize last year, and I have nothing but fond memories of that trip, in spite of some logistical issues!
I have a certification for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, so I should at least somewhat know what I’m doing. This summer camp doesn’t even require me to have one, so I’m sure it’ll go well.
And I’ve met all the other camp trainers already. We’re going to have a great time!
I may be nervous, but I’m equally excited. I know that I can handle myself and it’ll all work out fine!
