BYU NewsNet - Traveling During School Break

Students are finally recovering from their winter colds, but with the warmer weather and summer holiday just on the horizon, another virus is quickly becoming an epidemic - wanderlust.

"My family introduced me to traveling," said Charla Finnigan, a senior public health major from Maryland. "For me, it's essential - just a part of life."

Finnigan has lived in five different countries and travelled to 15. She said she is "conversationally comfortable" in Spanish and French and will be studying Portuguese in the fall.

This summer, she'll be doing an internship with the University of Liverpool in England. She lived and worked in London for four months after her freshman year and is excited to return.

"I think England is a fantastic place for a first-time traveler to go," Finnigan said. "In Britain, most of the museums are free."

Students should be aware of cultural differences across international borders. Finnigan recommended doing a little research before traveling abroad and having an open mind after arriving.

To students who might be on a budget, she recommended checking out different Web sites, like www.studentuniverse.com, that offer student discounts for travel and accommodation.

"We have students who travel all over the globe," said Mary-Lou Smith, the manager of the international department of BYU Travel. "The hot places to go are Europe and Asia."

The travel office is a free service to BYU students and has registered agents who can help students find the cheapest fares and plan travel for a study abroad, internship or even a vacation.

Aside from wanderlust, it is important to be aware of actual viruses that could affect world travelers.

Smith said students should be aware of the purity of the water supply and be prepared to drink bottled water in some countries. Also, many countries require a yellow fever vaccination before entry. Carrying a yellow international vaccination certificate alongside a passport may be required.

Different countries have different visa requirements, Smith said. Many countries have 30- or 90-day visas stamped into a passport on arrival, but appearing before a consulate before traveling abroad might be necessary for others.

"I think it's a good idea to have a passport," Smith said. "You never know what will come your way."

According to the U.S. Department of State, fewer than a third of Americans have a passport. However, the number of residents who have a passport has increased from 9 million in 2004 to 18 million in 2007.

For more information on passports and visas, students can check out the state department's travel Web site, www.travel.state.gov. It is also updated regularly with important travel advisories.

While Europe and Asia might be the most popular places to travel, some students are interested in places on the other side of the equator.

"Kenya is really famous for its wildlife," said Jaimie Shorten, an anthropolgy major from Seattle. She is going to Africa this summer with her sister, who wanted to go after hearing about Shorten's experiences in Ghana last year.

They are both doing internships with International Volunteer HQ, an organization that assists with volunteer placement in developing countries. Similar organizations offer volunteers who can teach English or assist medical facilities and people researching HIV/AIDS to countries where a lot of help is needed.

Shorten said doing an internship with a volunteer organization is cheaper than conventional tourist travel and a good opportunity to help out a lot of people.

"By traveling, you learn different things you can't learn at school," Shorten said. She recommended staying in one place for at least three months, and traveling around that place as much as possible.

The two sisters are hoping to do a small safari trip and to hike on Mt. Kilimanjaro during their internships in Kenya.