Study abroad is a life-changing experience. Sure, some of your greatest memories might be the days wandering through an unknown city or the nights you spent dancing in the bar. But when you scroll through the albums from your journey, close to half of the pictures are artsy photos of food (please, don’t let this just be me).
Why don’t we have cafes and gelato shops on every corner? Why Hershey’s? And most importantly, why is the drinking age 21? To anyone who has ever studied abroad, this might be slightly painful as we reminisce what once was part of our daily diet. If you’ve never been abroad, go for the food…oh, and all the other great experiences that come with it, too.
1. Digestives
Nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to these addicting biscuits. Dipping them in your tea and letting the chocolate melt is a game-changer. I miss these much more than I care to admit, and I definitely made these a priority in my suitcase.
2. Fries/Chips
“Can I get a side of chips with that?” I didn’t live the most healthy diet while I was abroad, but you just don’t get sick of these. Ever. Thick cut fries over thin cut, always.
3. Macarons
Who knew such a tiny dessert could be filled with so much flavor? Take a bite of a macaron and you just took a bite of heaven. Sometimes I still shed a tear when I see pictures of them.
4. Cadbury chocolate
After eating Cadbury bars for 4 months, I could never go back to Hershey’s. I know Cadbury is sold here in the States, but are our grocery stores stocked with an abundance and a variety? Can you order a Cadbury McFlurry? My point exactly.
5. Coffee
The things I would do to stop in a cafe and order a vanilla cappuccino and have it look like this. I took my study abroad coffee trips for granted, and during these cold winter months, I miss it more than ever.
6. Gelato
I truly wish I would have gone to Italy for the sole purpose of gelato. Don’t get me wrong though, I never had a bad experience with gelato in any country.
7. Cheese
I’m a little embarrassed to say that this was one of the major highlights of my Amsterdam trip. I actually think I sampled every single cheese that they would allow me to…and then I wondered why American cheese even exists.
8. Scones
Scones are a perfect compliment to your coffee, and served with a side of jam, you’ve got breakfast or even a nice pick-me-up snack.
9. Churros
For the short amount of time I spent in Spain, churros con chocolate sure made an impact on my life. Sorry, but churros outside of Spain, they just don’t compare.
10. Guinness
Can you tell that I studied abroad in Ireland? What I would give to pour that perfect pint of Guinness just one more time. Worth the 5 euro, every single time.