If life is a learning experience, and we are all students of life, then traveling abroad is a lesson that must be tackled.

For college students, trekking around foreign countries for 30 plus days and sleeping in less than perfect hostels with only the clothes in their backpacks doesn't sound unreasonable. In fact, to many students it sounds down right awesome when it includes touring some of the world's oldest and most history-rich cities and admiring renowned artists' and architects' masterpieces. Stacey Gordon, 24, traveled Europe for six weeks with a friend after graduating from Chico State University last summer. "I never realized how much more there is to the world until I got

there (Europe) and saw that my life is just a teeny part of what goes on in the rest of the world," she said.  "Things you get wrapped up in here seem minuscule compared to the things you discover in other countries."

If you're already enlightened and believe that seeing Europe will enhance your education and inspire your soul, but you're a little worried about inspiring the funds to get there, read on. Getting to and around western Europe can be cheaper and easier than you might think.