Last week I mentioned that I was lucky enough to study abroad in Scotland for two months this summer (although given the recent Indepence Referendum there, I probably should have gone this fall). It was an amazing time that I can’t sum up into a few words, but I’ll try: fun, history, traveling, friends, dances (Ceilidhs), Highland Games, parades, new people, zip lining, Edinburgh Dungeon, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, pubs, short stories, hiking, and last but not least, beauty.
Studying abroad gives you an experience that will make everyone you know ask “So, what was it like?” as soon as you set foot back on US soil. You’ll know that you can be independent, make your own travel plans, find your way around foreign cities (even if you get lost), and do things that are pretty terrifying but so worth it (even if that’s just getting on the plane, but for me it was the zip lining).
This is one of the smallest ziplines.
Studying abroad isn’t easy for everyone. It takes a lot of planning, and financial issues come up for most people. However, the International Programs Office (IPO) is full of wonderful people willing to help you every step of the way, from deciding a program to finding/applying for scholarships to all the application paperwork you need for the program and McDaniel. Plus, there’s always our sister campus in Budapest. Some of my friends are there right now and they absolutely adore it.
Majoring in languages requires you to study abroad for a semester or live in that language’s house for a year, and everyone I’ve talked to says it’s so much more fun to go abroad, and you learn a lot more from being immersed in the language.
I didn’t go to Scotland for the language, although I did pick up a bit of Scots Gaelic while there (and promptly forgot a lot of it from disuse). I went for the beauty, the culture, the classes, the history, and yes, to pick myself up another kilt. It didn’t fail me in any aspect I wanted from it, and being there in the summer before the Independence Referendum meant there was a lot of campaigning and debates about it. People would randomly bring it up on the streets, to tell us about it or to ask what we thought as Americans. It was wonderful.
There are so many things I could share, but here are some highlights:
This was taken in Stirling Castle, where they have jester outfits to try on while you’re learning about history.
There was a hill near campus called Dumyat. I hiked it multiple times. This is one of the views from the hike.
This is taken with “Nessie” on one of the Ness Islands. I did get to see Loch Ness the next day, but I think the islands on the River Ness near Inverness were my favorite of the “Ness” things.
This is Loch Carron on the Isle of Skye.
My Gothic class went here on an excursion so that we could live the gothic/horror. It was one of my favorite things.
This year was the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, which was a simple bus ride away for my friends and I to attend the festival. There was food, music, Ceilidh dancing, live reenactments (shown above), and a whole village set up as if it was 700 years ago.
Of course, every study abroad experience is different, but there is a consensus about one thing: It’s totally worth it.
Leave a Reply