My time spent abroad in London was a once-in-a lifetime experience that has altered my perspective on the world. Being in London at such a tumultuous time—Queen Elizabeth passed, and Lizz Truss stepped down as Prime Minister—I learned a lot about the state of the monarchy and the politics and economy in the UK. Furthermore, I was able to gain an outside perspective of the state of the U.S. and things, such as National Healthcare, that other countries do differently. During my time abroad, I was able to travel to Munich, Paris, Lisbon, Edinburgh, Rome, and Amsterdam. I used my travels to first explore the deep-rooted history that these countries have by visiting different museums and historic sites. I also used my time in these cities to explore the culture by trying their cuisine. Overall, my experience abroad has opened me up to trying new things and questioning how things are done within the U.S.

Although I knew that there would be cultural differences coming to abroad, living through those differences still surprised me. One example is the experience of attending a sports match. I attended a couple of football (soccer) matches in London, and the atmosphere was a lot more intense. The away section has a separate entrance to protect away fans. Furthermore, even though the UK speaks English, they have their own dialect that can cause confusion at times. If I asked about an elevator, line, or bathroom, they would be confused. Lastly, I felt in the UK and Europe that people like to live life slowly and enjoy it. In the US, it feels like everyone is always in a rush and working all of the time.

Having travelled and experienced other cultures and histories in other countries, I want to continue that as a hobby. Through books and further travel, I hope to gain this exposure. I feel that my experience abroad has opened myself up to gaining new experiences. Now that I am back in the States, I want to enjoy what the U.S. has to offer as well, such as visiting the National Parks.

I had a friend from the Club Baseball team who was three years older than me and went abroad to London in his junior year. When I was considering going abroad to London, I spoke with him, and he fully sold me on the idea. I feel like he might have even undersold abroad. I would strongly recommend going abroad to any student that can.

I just want to thank the Honor’s Program for being able to provide an Abroad Grant. It really helps with the cost of travel, as it’s a big barrier to entry.