How my abroad experience has been so far:
As someone who has traveled a lot, going to a different country is something that though I am familiar with, it’s always a new and fun experience. One thing I always forget about is that there is usually no air conditioning in hotels/hostels and an open window is the air circulation. Though where we stayed wasn’t the best, usually we were out exploring so it really was just a place to sleep and do our class. This program did not take place at another university here, but we were led in the class in a small room where we would do lessons, but there were a lot of excursions we went on. The excursions we did included a tour of the Old Bailey court house, the Supreme Court of the Justices, where we sat in on a few cases and got to see how the preceding’s went. We did a legal tour of the Royal Courts of Justices which were very interesting. Seeing how the court system in the UK differs from the US was a major part of this class and it was very engaging.
One reason I have been looking forward to a study abroad program in London was because there would be no language barrier and I wouldn’t have to feel awkward when I couldn’t translate what they said. There were a few terms here and there from locals that were confusing, but most of the time, there was no confusion or barrier between the people I would speak to. Those who live in the London area for the most part have been very kind and helpful, especially if you are nice to them as well. They would most definitely reciprocate and negative interactions with their own, just like any American would.
I was lucky enough to take a train up to Edinburgh to experience a little bit of Scotland for about 24 hours. We left right after class one day and took a train straight out of King’s Cross into Edinburgh. We slept and spend the whole next day exploring the city, from going to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to seeing The Elephant House, where the idea of Harry Potter was first born, to the University of Edinburgh and everything in between. We didn’t get to go to the castle due to timing, but still got some amazing pictures of it and memories to last. We also got to take a bus trip the next weekend to Windsor to see the castle, Stonehenge, and Bath. Every single place we visited and explored was more beautiful than the last, even if Stonehenge was so cold that the other people and I had to buy sweatshirts because the weather app had been very misleading.
It’s been such a fun experience so far and I don’t know how I’m going to feel about going home, I never want to leave.
