My time spent abroad in London was a once in a lifetime experience that has altered my perspective on the world. Being in London in 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 firstly, 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 abroad experience has opened me up to trying new things and questioning how things are done within the U.S.

Although coming into abroad I knew that there would be cultural difference, 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 is 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 the people like to live life slowly and enjoy it. In the US it feels that everyone is always in a rush and working all of the time.

Having travelled and experienced other countries cultures and histories, I want to continue that as a hobby. Through books and further travelling, I hope to get 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 that was three years older than me who went abroad to London his Junior Fall. 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.