As a senior, I find myself reflecting on the opportunities I have had throughout my time at Longwood often. Going into college, I knew that studying abroad was something I wanted to do. In high school, I had the chance to travel with friends from theater to attend and perform at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. For those who are unfamiliar, the Fringe Festival is a month-long event in which the entire city of Edinburgh turns into one big theater. Anywhere you can think of that could possibly hold a performance does. There is everything from comedians to plays to musicals and more! Having that experience in high school helped me catch the travel bug and fall in love with the city of Edinburgh, which will become important later.
When I began to prepare for study abroad, I knew I wanted to be able to return to Edinburgh somehow. My mom promised me that if I could not find a program there, we would still find a way to make it work. So when I started looking for programs, I knew I wanted to be close to Scotland. Having been to the city before and also having a cousin studying there at the same time as I was in the city eventually drew me to choosing London, and I chose a program with a course called Taylor Swift and Literature, since I wanted to do something related to my major of English, and it sounded fun.
Fast forward to late June 2025, and I am sitting in the airport awaiting my flight, nerves and excitement all at once. I was about to be on my way to London for nearly one month, going in not knowing what to expect and not knowing anyone. I barely slept on the plane ride over, because I usually cannot fall asleep on planes, but also because of the building anticipation. The next thing I know, I am landing nice and early, with a few hours to kill before I meet my group from the program. I get a drink and sit down, killing a couple hours before I meet the other who would be with me for my program. And then we were on our way to explore the city of London.
The next three weeks were a whirlwind of meeting a bunch of new people, many of whom I am still in touch with to this day, spending my time exploring the city, and diving into my coursework. I visited a lot of bookstores, which is one of my favorite hobbies when traveling as an English major. I saw some theater, including The Play That Goes Wrong and The Great Gatsby, both of which were brilliant. I also spent time with my cousin who lives in London, which was amazing. (And I had copious amounts of tea.) I also did end up getting to return to Edinburgh when my family joined me after my program for some extra travel. I truly loved getting to show them my favorite city.
Studying abroad not only fulfilled a dream, but it taught me a lot. I learned valuable lessons about myself and the world around me. It taught me independence. While it was not my first time traveling outside of the country, it was my first time going abroad myself. I had to learn how to navigate a new timezone and a new city without immediate family support. I learned how to set a routine that allowed me to balance my coursework and sightseeing. I learned how to navigate the little things of life that were different in London, such as convenience stores, grocery stores, and public transportation. Above all, studying abroad taught me flexibility and adaptability. I could not always rely on people or plans to be consistent. As someone who loves to have a set schedule when traveling, I had to let go of some of that desire to instead go with the flow and unpredictability.
It is easy to plant roots and want to stay firmly where we are. However, it is only by stepping out of our comfort zone that we can truly spread our wings and grow. Studying abroad puts you in a new and often unfamiliar environment. I know it is cliche, but I really do believe now that studying abroad changes you, and that is why I would say to anyone who is even remotely considering studying abroad to just do it. Do it despite fear or anxiety because you never know where it will take you or the lessons you will learn.