I can still clearly remember sitting in the Education Abroad Office this past November for our group’s information session, discussing how to best prepare for our upcoming journey. We covered various bases and received a wide array of tips ranging from mental preparation exercises to packing suggestions, but there was one piece of advice given that I almost completely overlooked. Jaime made it clear: Bring any sort of personal care items you’re attached to, especially important medications, because these might be tricky to get in Spain. I of course took this part seriously and made sure to bring along any prescription medications that I would need, but beyond that I didn’t think too far. Being a bit type A, I did bring a small bag with an assortment of things like NyQuil and Advil, but nothing that would last more than a few days.
So far during the program, I’ve had 2 colds and occasional allergies as well. This is abnormal for me, thus why I came quite unprepared without thinking twice, but colds have definitely been going around. Some locals say it’s easier to catch a cold here because of the fluctuating weather patterns, but who knows. I never thought I was attached to brands, but let me tell you, I’ve never missed Mucinex, NyQuil, and Halls cough drops more. Don’t get me wrong, they do have plenty of medicine here, and very helpful pharmacists. But there’s something strange about reading active ingredients on a box in another language, even if you know by googling that you’ve found the generic form of the same thing you use back home. Maybe it’s the placebo effect, but I love the cold medicine I’m used to, and I absolutely wish I had brought more along just in case. The same thing goes for cough drops- in general I’ve found that cough drops aren’t very commonly used here, and while I was sick I sorely missed my favorite flavor, Honey & Lemon. Luckily, I found loads of Honey & Lemon cough drops during a trip to Glasgow a few weeks back and made sure to stock up. I also snagged a few boxes of Ginger Tea, another personal favorite that I can’t seem to find in Oviedo.
I also assumed that I would be able to order more of my favorite face wash online after it ran out, but after a few online searches, I realized that the company I use doesn’t ship out of the United States. I then checked Amazon, and learned that because of certain import laws, my U.S. Amazon account wouldn’t ship to Spain either. I was starting to get frustrated—was I even going to get it shipped to me? I spent almost an hour on Google until I found that I could order my product through Amazon France, and I’m pretty sure I checked about 7 other countries’ Amazons before I found one that would ship to Spain! Although I felt silly for “needing” the same old product I’m used to, I think there’s a lot to be said for remaining consistent with the personal care items you’re comfortable with.
I now know that if there’s something I’m pretty attached to, I need to prepare when traveling by bringing enough for the future. Sure, they have everything you need here and more, but there’s something comforting about using personal care essentials you’re used to. In the midst of all the other cultural adjustments, it’s nice to at least drink your favorite flavor of tea or know that you won’t have to spend weeks letting your skin adjust to a new face wash! Leaving behind the things you know is a beautiful part of immersion, but it can’t hurt to bring a few things you rely on back home to make your time just a little bit easier.