Travel While You Can: My Year-Abroad Adventures

By Alex Toomey, Rutgers, USA

One of the best parts of a year abroad is the freedom to explore. Rutgers’ location is perfect—you can hop on a train, book a budget flight, or pile into a car and see so many different sides of the U.S. I tried to say “yes” to every trip I could squeeze in between classes, and those journeys became some of my brightest memories. Here’s everywhere I went—and a few hacks to help you plan your own.

Boston – 3 Days of New England Charm

Boston was our first big getaway, and it ended up being more affordable than we’d imagined. We scored a $100 return flight out of Newark and an Airbnb that, split between eight of us, came to just $65 each for two nights—an absolute steal. The city itself is ridiculously pretty: red-brick streets, leafy squares, and little cafés on every corner. Not only did it feel i was flung into a 2000s rom-com it was one of the few cities in the US I could genuinely picture myself living in one day.

We wandered the Freedom Trail, admired Beacon Hill’s gas-lit streets, and people-watched in Boston Common. To end the day we went to the must-stop James Hook & Co., where we devoured the best lobster rolls of our lives as the sun set—golden hour and soft buttery bread stuffed with sweet, fresh lobster. 

The real pinch-me moment came that evening when friends at Harvard invited us for a campus tour and even snuck us into a secret-society house. Picture dimly lit rooms, creaky wooden floors, taxidermy bears, and hidden doors—it felt straight out of a movie. 

On our second night after a full day of strolling we hopped on a train to Salem for full witchy vibes. The old houses and eerie stories were already atmospheric, but things got wild when a parked car suddenly flashed its headlights and blasted music even though nobody was inside. We all screamed and half-joked about our first supernatural encounter, a fittingly mysterious end to the trip that left me completely hooked on Boston—I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Washington, D.C. – 3 Days of Monuments

For D.C., we skipped airports and grabbed the Amtrak straight from New Brunswick, which was half the fun. There’s something so peaceful about watching rivers, little towns, and forests blur past the window while you snack and chat with friends.

Once there, we did a full monument crawl: the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the grand Capitol Building. Also the White House just after Trump was elected (very sureal). We wandered along Georgetown’s cobblestone streets, browsed quirky boutiques on M Street, and had dinner at Martin’s Tavern, a historic pub where presidents like JFK and Nixon once ate. D.C. felt a little quieter than Boston but still so worth the trip—elegant, walkable, and full of history.

Colorado – 7 Days of the Rockies

Colorado was pure magic. I flew out to visit a close friend doing her year abroad at the University of Colorado Boulder, which made the trip even more special—it was like stepping into her version of exchange life.

Boulder is tucked right against the Rockies, so every view looks like a postcard. We hiked the famous Flatirons at sunset, explored Rocky Mountain National Park, crossed frozen lakes, and soaked up that crisp, high-altitude air. For skiing we mixed it up: a day at Winter Park for big-mountain runs and another at Eldora, a local gem with shorter lift lines. Evenings meant Pearl Street Mall with street performers, delicious food, and buzzing student nightlife. Sharing that week with a friend who lived there made it feel extra personal, and it’s a trip I’d recommend to anyone with pals studying in other states—seeing their host-uni life is half the fun.

Puerto Rico – 7 Days of Island Magic

Spring break in Puerto Rico was pure sunshine. Most mornings started with icy-cold açaí bowls or fresh smoothies for breakfast, followed by beach days that stretched until the sky turned pink. Lunch usually meant flaky empanadas or fresh fish from little beach shacks, and we basically spent every afternoon leaping into turquoise waves.

We explored Old San Juan’s rainbow-painted streets and 16th-century forts, danced through the vibrant nightlife of La Placita, and even snorkeled with wild sea turtles—completely free, just off a quiet beach. One day we rented a car and wound our way through the lush rainforest of El Yunque, hiking to hidden waterfalls and natural swimming holes. We stayed in a small hostel with a rooftop full of swinging hammocks overlooking the city – a total paradise I would definitely recommend for any budget spring breakers.

Tip: pack light. I went a bit overboard on souvenir shopping and had to wear half my clothes on the flight home to avoid checked baggage fees. Not my most glamorous travel moment, but it worked.

The Big Road Trip – 2½ Weeks of Pure Americana

To wrap up the year, four of us planned a two-and-a-half-week road trip that stretched from almost one side of the country to the other. We crossed seven state borders—Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and California—and hit twelve unforgettable stops.

We kicked things off in Nashville with three nights of honky-tonk bars and live country music. I ticked off a bucket-list moment riding a mechanical bull and spent a night line dancing at Category 10—still one of my favorite memories. From there we rolled through Memphis home of Elvis Presley and had our first overnight in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where we narrowly missed an “extraordinary threat to life and property” tornado (tip: always check weather alerts).

The road west was a blur of flavors and landscapes: amazing mexican food in Oklahoma City, a sing-along to “Is This the Way to Amarillo?” as we crossed into Texas, and a stop at a legendary steakhouse after miles of cattle ranches. The scenery shifted from green forests to the wide-open deserts of New Mexico. In Santa Rosa we cooled off with a spontaneous dip in the beautiful Blue Hole before settling in Albuquerque, where of course we swung by the Breaking Bad house.

From there it was a highlight reel of the American Southwest: the rust-red spires of Monument Valley, the sparkling waters of Lake Powell, and the endless horizons of the Grand Canyon. Each stop felt bigger and wilder than the last.

As we entered California, spotting the first Joshua trees felt surreal—we’d made it to the West Coast. Our final stretch in San Diego was the perfect ending: five chilled-out days on Pacific Beach, endless poke bowls (including a poke burrito I still dream about), and even an impulsive attempt at surfing. Spoiler: standing up is way harder than it looks, but we laughed until our stomachs hurt.

Logistics-wise, we rented through Thrifty, which was perfect because they let under-25s rent with only a small surcharge. Gas was around $20–30 per day total, split four ways, and classic neon-lit motels—some as cheap as $7 per night per person—gave us that vintage road-trip vibe. There’s nothing like pulling up to a glowing sign at midnight, grabbing a diner burger, and crashing into a squeaky bed after six hours on the road.

A Few Travel Hacks I Swear By

• Flights: Budget airlines like Frontier often run crazy deals—ours even included free checked luggage during a promo. Sign up for alerts and pounce when you see a discount.
• Road Trips: If you’re under 25, Thrifty is great for car rentals with just a small young-driver surcharge.
• Gas & Motels: U.S. gas is much cheaper than in the U.K., so long drives don’t wreck your budget. Motels are everywhere and usually a fraction of hotel prices.
• Group Power: Traveling with friends means splitting Airbnbs, Ubers, and car rentals to keep costs low.
• Pack Light: Learn from me—leave space for souvenirs so you’re not wearing half your wardrobe onto the plane.

The four of us are already plotting our next U.S. road adventure. Saying yes to travel turned my year abroad from “a year in New Jersey” into a cross-country adventure. Pack light, watch for flight deals, and just go. If you get the chance, travel while you can—you’ll never regret the memories you bring home.