Jessica Sharpe and Madison Somerday remember the panic of being stranded in Naples without a hotel room, after accidentally booking the wrong dates.
“We had to split up the group and there were too many people in our room with no other hotels,” Somerday said. “They were trying to kick us out on the street,” she said.
Thousands of miles from home, the group of girls found themselves in an unfamiliar city, frantically calling their parents.
This moment of uncertainty planted the seed for what would later become Cal Poly alumni Jessica Sharpe and Madison Somerday’s book, A Guide to Studying Abroad.
Published in December 2024, the book is a practical guide intertwined with personal stories, aiming to help students navigate the highs and lows of studying abroad.
The duo spent the fall of their junior year in Prague through the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) Prague program. Sharpe’s sorority big, who studied there previously, recommended the city. While many students opted to study in Italy, Sharpe explained that Prague offered unique advantages. “It was a lot more affordable than Italy, and it felt like a little gem that we found,” she said.
During their time abroad, they attended general education classes in Prague and made the most of their time by visiting 15 countries — including Croatia, Hungary, and Austria. While some trips were organized through the USAC program, they planned others independently during their free time.
As exciting as their travels were, the experience wasn’t without its hiccups. “There’s definitely a lot of learning curves,” Somerday said. “Everything worked out amazing but we kind of dove into it without really knowing what to do,” she said.
From booking hotels on the wrong dates to dealing with unfamiliar illnesses and navigating foreign phone plans, the two encountered their fair share of challenges.
Out of all the countries they visited, Ireland stood out as a spot with bustling live music and a welcoming atmosphere. “Ireland just felt like a little fairytale,” Sharpe explained, reminiscing on her time in Galway and her visit to the Cliffs of Moher.
Their book aims to serve as more than just a simple travel guide. It offers emotional support and practical tips on relationships, friendships, and personal growth while studying abroad.
Somerday, who navigated a long-distance relationship during her time overseas, shared strategies like setting up call schedules to set yourself up for success while also weighing the pros and cons of staying in a relationship while being abroad.
Sharpe, on the other hand, entered her study abroad experience single and shares insights on navigating dating abroad — emphasizing the importance of letting yourself have fun while also prioritizing safety.
Adjusting to new friendships abroad was another significant learning curve.
“Before leaving, my mom would tell me not to have expectations in terms of friendships there and if you’re going with big groups to really focus on what you want to do internally and what feels good to your intuition,” Sharpe said.
When traveling in large groups, differing interests can make it challenging to balance group decisions with staying true to yourself and making the most of your trip.
“There’s definitely people that migrate towards each other, so you have to make decisions on, ‘Do you want to go here or there or who you want to spend your time with?'” Sharpe said.
On the other hand, returning home presented unexpected difficulties as well, Sharpe and Somerday said. A concept they call “post-abroad depression,” is explored in depth in their book.
Sharpe explained that their book offers advice on how to recreate “the same feelings that you felt abroad even when you’re home because those feelings of awe and inspiration are so present when you’re in another place and we really wanted to help people find that in their day to day life.”