HIGHS
Meeting new people
I have met some absolutely wonderful people while I being abroad, both American and European. In my classes I have managed to meet a really good friend named Hayley that I unfortunately did not have a lot of time to spend with because I was traveling so much, but she really was one of my first impressions of British people and is the reason I thought so highly of them since the moment I started going to Brookes. Paris is another good friend that I actually met out at a club one night and we have managed to meet up quite a few times since for dinner and drinks to talk about absolutely everything as if we have been friends for years. I have even met some Americans through my other friends studying abroad in different places that I have found a lot in common with that I never would have met if I didn’t come here.
Experiencing the culture of Europe
Europe is so different than the United States in a numerous amount of ways. Between the way they talk, the way they act, the way they eat, drink, and even their sleeping patterns are all different. Coming to England I expected there to be quite a few more similarities to the United States than I have discovered. I am definitely not complaining because it has given me an entirely new perspective on the world, but it was a pretty big shock to me.
Discovering who I am
I have always been a pretty independent person. Ever since I was 16 years old I have been able to take care of myself for the most part. Of course my parents were always there for me and helped me out, but, until I studied abroad, I have not asked my parents for money since I was 14 and got my first job. Studying abroad has reassured my independence even more and has made me look to myself for help rather than turning to other people when I am in need. I have been able to find my own way around European countries and have been able to book my own flights, buses and hostels without the help of anyone else. I feel as though in these past for months, I have grown up a lot, and in a way it scares me to go back to my college in North Carolina because I feel as though I am already ready to be out in the “real world”.
LOWS
The weather in some of the places I visited
Well first off, England is known for the amount that it rains, and not only did that put a damper on the amount of things that we were able to do outside, but it just brings everyone’s moods down. Berlin and Scotland were also two places that I did not bring enough clothes for. This past weekend in Berlin, everyone that we were with were unable to stay outside for more than a half an hour before losing the feeling in their fingers and toes. Regardless of how much I love Germany and everything we did there, the whether made parts of it miserable.
Traveling with too many people
This was probably one of the most frustrating aspects of studying abroad. Trying to keep everyone together and trying to have so many people with different opinions and ideas of what to do and where to go is simply too stressful to have to deal with. I wont get into the specifics of this “low topic” because I would most likely take up 2 or 3 pages, but I have definitely noticed that my experiences where I traveled with 2 to 4 people have been much better than the ones that I traveled with 6 to 10 people.
Not having enough time or money
Although I worked my butt off this past summer to make enough money to come abroad, it still was not enough. Not only was the exchange rate absolutely horrid, especially in England, but I wanted to buy souvenirs and give myself the true experience of being a local in some of these countries, and that tended to have a very high price to it. As far as time goes, I wish that I was here longer to visit more places and get to see more countries than I have including: Wales, Ireland, France, and even more of Italy. Yet I do not regret one single trip that I went on, nor would I trade any of them for the a different adventure.
If I could give someone 10 main tips before studying abroad they would be:
1. Always plan ahead -you’ll regret wasting time trying to figure out where you are going and what you want to do
2. Never plan your trips around other people - This is your experience abroad and your time to explore Europe the way you want to.
3. Don’t buy drinks at bars- You’ll end up spending a lot of money that you’ll find out the next morning that you didn’t actually have...
4. Don’t bring valuable stuff out with you - You will either lose it or get it stolen from you
5. Learn how to cook before you go abroad - not only will you save money on going out to eat, but you’ll be able to take that back to the states with you.
6. Always bring a book to the airport with you - believe me, you’ll thank me later
7. Take a self-defense class - I hate to say it, but I have heard of way too many instances of people getting jumped and beat up while being over here.
8. Purchase Mackenzie Smelling Salts - They do not sell them in the states and they are the BEST cure for hangovers, headaches, colds, and motion sickness.
9. Try everything once - You have no reason not to, and who knows when you’ll ever be in Europe again?
10. Make sure to buy or bring a comfortable mattress padding for your bed - At the the ones at Oxford Brookes are the most uncomfortable thing I have ever slept in.
I am really happy that I had a chance to record everything that I have done while being abroad. Blogging has really given me a chance to sit back and think about what I have done on my trips and on a day to day basis while being in Oxford. I see that I tended to repeat the phrase “always expect the unexpected” in a lot of my blogs. This is most likely due to the fact that my expectations for this entire experience have been totally different than the reality, both in good ways and bad. When looking back at my writing, I can tell that I try and look at the sentimental side of each trip that I have gone on, and like to record how I am feeling after each trip and how it has effected me. I also have noticed that I have run into a lot of things that I have seen as inspiration to blog about such as when I have to spend 5 hours in an airport, or i’m frustrated with a person that I had thought was going to be one of my good friends for the rest of my life. I have used this blogging opportunity to not only write down what I did over the past, almost, four months abroad, but I also used it as a source of writing down what I am thinking and feeling throughout my entire time here. I have found that the most helpful because I have definitely found out that studying abroad can be a lonely experience sometimes, no matter how many people you may be traveling with.
Although I have already touched on it a little bit earlier in this post, I would say that my biggest take-away from this study abroad experience would have to be how much I have learned about myself and how much I have grown up. I feel as though when I go back to the United States, I am going to have such a different outlook on life and so much more of an appreciation for all that I have and all that I have been able to do. I have seen people begging on the streets on their hands and knees, people using their dogs to get people to give them money, a man sitting in the same spot by the grocery store every single day with his blanket on and his cup for change in hand. I have even seen someone that has two thumbs on one hand, yet doesn’t have enough money for surgery to get it removed. I have realized how lucky I am to live in the United States with no strikes going on in the airports so that flights are all delayed. I am lucky to have the right to vote on who it is that runs and represents my country. I have realized that I am independent and fortunate enough to make my own decisions on a day to day basis, and that this opportunity that I have been given to travel the world is one that should never be taken advantage of. I am a lucky, proud, all-around American girl, and these past 3 and a half months have truly changed not only my life right now, but who I am going to be in the future.
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