Going abroad to study, intern, volunteer or teach are exciting experiences often filled
with many firsts and memorable moments. You may want to document your memories because
they will fade quickly once you are back home.
While the memories fade, that does not mean you can't document the important events, the good days, and every experience in between. Whether you want to share your experience with your family and friends at home, remember exactly how you felt at a specific moment abroad, or enter a photo contest, there are several ways to document your time abroad.To help you get started, here are three methods to document your time abroad:
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words! Photographs can help you communicate
your experiences to friends and family. Sometimes it will feel as if you’re speaking
another language, but your pictures will help them to understand what you’re talking
about.
Practical Ethical Photography
You'll want to capture moments and memories that are precious to you but don't forget
to practice ethical photography. This means asking yourself the questions to the left
before you take photos and post them. Follow these important principles when taking photos and posting them to social media.
Blogging allows you to easily keep in contact with lots of people while still being
able to focus on your time abroad (not on the 30 people who want an email from you).
You could even link your blog to Facebook or Instagram to distribute it widely. We
recommend using one of the following platforms: Wordpress (an online blogging platforom), Wix (an online site builder), and Blogger (an online blogging platform).
Blogging helps you:
Here are some blogs you can use for inspiration:
Going beyond recording your experience, critical reflection about your experience builds your awareness and engagement with your surroundings.
Even if you have never kept one before, you may find that while you are abroad you feel more inspired to write down how you are feeling and things you want to remember. You may also find it relieves some of the stress and homesickness that often comes with being far away from home.