Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

My time in England has really made me appreciate so much more about life: how much we take for granted the history of our surroundings, as well as the consistency and comfort of familiar places and faces. England is such a historically rich country, and it took with me a while to get used to casually driving past Stonehenge, attending Easter services in a 1,300 year-old cathedral, and walking to class on the same stones that everyone from pirates-for-hire to Mayflower pilgrims, and from Antarctic explorers to 18th century Pacific Islanders, once walked.  

This semester has given me the opportunity to really explore England, and so far, I’ve managed to take a few trips: in London, I visited (countless) museums, took a history tour of the city, visited some tourist sites like Abbey Road and Burrough Market, and ate some delicious Pakistani food! In Gloucester, I visited a Beatrix Potter museum, as well as the stunning medieval Gloucester Cathedral. In Bath, I toured the Roman Baths, explored the Circus and the Royal Crescent, and saw Bath Abbey and the Pulteney Bridge (one of only four inhabited bridges in the world!). And of course, in Plymouth, I’ve visited the Mayflower Steps and Plymouth Sound, exploring the Barbican and the iconic Smeaton Tower. With a little over a month left in my program, I am planning to take a few more trips to better explore England, hopefully to Dover and St. Ives! 

As a part of this program, I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone, which looked like taking classes out of my major, fostering new relationships from scratch, and even starting a couple of new hobbies!  

The prospect of starting afresh in a new environment encouraged me to really challenge myself by saying yes to as many things as possible, which has made my life much fuller than I ever could have imagined! I am so grateful to the Global Engagement Office for all of the support and for this opportunity. 

Gloucester Cathedral: