Four months abroad sounds awesome - but how?

For what it's worth, I really regret not picking up fluency in a second language during college. One of the easiest ways to do that is study abroad. If I could do it over again, I would go to Spain and take intensive language summer school. If there's a program like that through your school and you can afford it, that's what I do.

I also probably am going to be an English major, so it's not like I have a compelling reason to take classes abroad Au contraire, I think you have reasons as compelling as everyone else, if not more so! 1) If you are interested in English language, I find the more I learn about other languages, the more I understand, appreciate, and know about my own. Having exposure to foreign languages helps you know how your own is special. 2) If you are interested in English literature, don't forget that "English" does not end at "American." You have the opportunity to go to South Africa for the summer and study South African literature, or to read American classics alongside students from Ireland, or what have you. 3) If you are interested in English language teaching e.g. EFL or ESL, you have a better understanding of the learner-perspective if you have studied a foreign language, and if you work with a specific population ("native Spanish speakers learning English"), can better understand their cultural reference and their common mistakes as language learners. 4) If you are interested in English language media you need all the marketable skills you can get, it sounds like, to get a plum job. Time abroad and second language skills are definitely good options. Add to these the goal of having some structure and I cannot see why you would say no! Also, there is nothing wrong with choosing a less studied, less spoken language than Spanish. If you want to spend the summer in Ankara studying Turkish, by all means do it. It will be an awesome adventure, and it will give you something to write about creatively or set yourself apart for working in media etc etc for years to come. Anyway, about your extended vacation thing, getting on and off a bus and staying in different places: you might see if something like http://www.contiki.com would work for you. I know several Australians who have done them through Europe and had a great time, but I would not call this "studying abroad" or "educational" by any means. (I spent a summer abroad in Cuba and it was awesome. I have also arranged summer and month long programs for US university students in several different countries.)

How about trying some kind of "voluntourism"? Usually this is a package deal where you pay in one lump sum for your housing and a couple of your meal, you also are responsible for getting yourself to a given starting point and maybe a couple of extra meals, and what happens is you spend part of the day working on some given task and then part of the day you're on your own. You're usually part of a team of people all doing the same thing. They have volunteer trips of varying lengths, going to varying places and doing varying things; anything from helping archeologists on a dig to helping build schools or things like that. I'm not offering a link only because there are too many to choose from if you just do a search for "volunteer vacations" or "voluntourism".

I went to a pretty exotic location the summer after my freshman year. I did an intensive language program in a developing country. This was pre-widespread-Internet, so there was no connecting back with family/friends, for the most part (well, occasional emails, but...) and it was outstanding. IMHO, it will be much harder to travel like this later. Do something as out-of-your-comfort-zone as you can.

I'd do this in two stages: take 2 semesters of a foreign language during the year. Spend the first summer studying that language abroad. The next summer get an internship in a foreign country where you will use that language. It's also useful to figure out what you want to do with your life and get internships in that field over the summer.

First, I think this is a great idea. After you graduate from college, you won't have long periods of time for travel like this without having to deal with the "what am I going to do when I get back?" question, so kudos! I don't have much experience with Europe (I've done most of my travel in Asia and Latin America, purely because it's cheaper). However, I will say that if you want to do the internship part first, wait until you're there to book the travel part. Once you're doing your weekend trips to various places, you'll meet other travelers who can give you suggestions on tours, etc. to do. You might even find that backpacking is less scary than you think (not trying to pressure you to do that - but when I was your age, I felt the same way, and then I met backpackers during my study abroad program and realized how stupid easy it is). As for this: - traveling alone as a young girl, both in the sense of being lonely and what happens if an emergency arises? I totally remember feeling that way, and it's completely understandable! One thing you will learn very quickly is that if you're staying in hostels, you'll rarely actually be alone. You'll meet interesting people from all over the world and do stuff with them. You will get homesick, but "no one will talk to me" loneliness is unlikely. Safety: honestly, I've felt more unsafe alone at night in some American cities than I have when traveling alone. And I was only a little older than you when I started traveling alone. You will attract some attention, but it's not always bad attention - people are often very warm and protective towards solo female travelers.

Have you considered something structured but still potentially awesome (espicially if you have the means to walk away if things go sour) like http://www.wwoof.org-ing?

I was an English major, and I did a summer study-abroad in Stratford, England. It was six weeks of Shakespeare, and we got to go see performances of the plays we studied (in Stratford and in London a couple of times). It was a really fun and great program! Many of us traveled afterwards (I traveled for two weeks, meeting up with some of my classmates at various locations (Venice, Paris). It was whirlwind but I had a fantastic time. If that doesn't seem appealing, I concur that taking an intensive language program abroad would be a good experience and beneficial in the long-term.

Check out http://www.ciee.org/study-abroad/. I did their semester-long program in Prague, Czech Republic. It was well-run and very supportive. They also have summer programs. I also did the http://www.bunac.org/usa/ work abroad program in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK and had a blast. You'll have to find a job and somewhere to live on your own though, and be able to support yourself financially until you find that job. I went with a friend and lived and job searched together. If you go alone, I'd recommend connecting with a club for an activity or sport right away. I made local friends (instead of hanging out with other Americans the whole time) and found both of my jobs through club members. If your school has an archaeology department, check to see if they have any organized excavation trips over the summer. I wish I had gone to Turkey or Greece with the department at my school. I believe ours offered free room (cabin-type accomodations) and board, but you had to pay for airfare. Have so much fun!