5 Playlists to Get You in the Study Abroad Mood
Music is an essential part of my everyday life, as are playlists. I have a playlist for every mood and occasion in my life, from studying instrumentals to high energy workout playlists. This was also the case when I was preparing to study abroad.
I prepared for my journey by making a playlist for every part of my trip. I made one to get me excited for my trip and help me pack (as if I wasn't excited enough already), one for the plane ride to help me relax (and attempt to sleep), and one for my long layovers. I may have gone a bit overboard, but I was definitely prepared in the music department.
Today I've decided to share five study abroad playlists with you. I've created three of them specifically for this post, then included two other playlists I love. The playlists move from pre-departure, across a few locations, and then into relaxing plane music.
Pre-Departure
1. Adventure is the Best Way to Learn
If you can get over the super cliché title I made for this playlist, you'll find that I've loaded it up with music to get you excited for your upcoming adventure. It starts off with electronic music that will make you want to dance your way to your new country, or at the very least get you in a great mood and ready to pack. After a shift near the end, the music gets into a tropical vibe (good for those of you heading somewhere with a beach).
A notable song in this playlist is I Lived by OneRepublic. The lyrics in the song are perfectly fitting for a study abroad experience, as they sing about living life to the fullest, and taking amazing opportunities (which you are, since you're studying abroad).
Location Specific
The next part will take you across several countries in terms of music style. I wanted to toss in some different genres, so you get a taste of everything.
2. Por la ex no se llora, uno la remplaza!
Even though I'm not exactly sure what they are singing about, since I don't speak Spanish, I still absolutely love this style of music. If you're heading to a country like Spain or Mexico, this playlist should get you ready for your trip. It reminds me of dancing on the beach in Cuba, and salsa dancing with great friends. After a listen to this playlist, you'll be shaking your hips all the way to your host country!
3. French Cafe
I think the title of this playlist is a perfect indication of which country we're going to look at now. Even if you don't speak French, the instrumentals are so beautiful, and the vocals are simply mesmerizing. The peaceful pace of the music will make you feel like you're sitting at a cafe alongside the road, sipping a coffee while eating a croissant.
Side note: a good friend from France told me that the pain au chocolat (and any other French baked good) is best enjoyed the moment a cafe opens while watching the sunrise after a long, adventurous night. So, get those bottles of wine ready for a long night out, and prepare to spend the morning recovering over fresh baked breads and much needed coffee, while listening to relaxing cafe music.
This mix represents a country that is very close to my heart: Sweden! Of course I have loaded this playlist up with some house and electronic music to satisfy anyone who loves to dance in group circles while fist pumping with one finger raised to the ceiling (the dancing definitely took me a while to get used to). While there are mostly Swedish artists on this playlist, there are also others from the Scandinavian area, so if you are studying in Norway, Denmark, or any other Scandinavian country, don't feel left out here.
Also, the reason I have the coffee images (below), rather than something representing house music, is because it was all about the coffee in Sweden (hello fika!). Seriously, I was essentially caffeinated the entire time I was there because the coffee is amazing. I might get around to changing the picture soon, as this may throw people off thinking it's a nice autumn coffee shop playlist, then shock them with electronic and house.
While I could really go on to make playlists for many different countries, I thought I would limit myself to just a few, even despite having a growing British indie electronica and pop collection. Hopefully one of these playlists will relate to your study abroad destination, but if you'd like me to make one focused on another region or point you to a great playlists that embodies the country you're studying abroad in, feel free to ask me in the comments below.
Relaxing on the Plane
See what I did there? Dreams = study abroad, and adventure and fly = plane. Anyways, ridiculous title aside, I've created a playlist to help you get through that long flight. A relaxing playlist with chill electronic and acoustic vibes should get you settled in, and allow you to block out all the bustling around you. It may even relax you enough to sleep, or at least that's my hopes for you! A great plane playlist is always key to smooth traveling, so that's why I've included this one to this list.
I hope that you can enjoy these playlists while you're packing for, researching about, and traveling to your host country. You have an exciting adventure ahead of you!
As always, if you have any questions about studying abroad, or you have a specific topic you'd like me to touch on, don't hesitate to email me or ask in the comments below. I'm always happy to help! For more studying abroad tips & tricks, check out my Pinterest page here.
Until next time,
Kaitlyn xo