When asked why I decided to study International Relations, I sometimes quip that I want what the name implies: relations internationally. Like many people, I have a deep-rooted desire to travel— a self-diagnosed condition of wanderlust. In fact, the reason I decided to study at UWF was because in my senior year of high school I heard of the school’s Catalyst program and thought the opportunity to study abroad was too good to pass up.
I was a part of the pioneering Catalyst Spring, which was three and a half months abroad studying for roughly two weeks each in six European countries, Rome, Barcelona, Edinburgh, London, Paris, and Berlin, with two one-week acceleration or independent travel opportunities. So now for the juicy question: what were the best parts of studying abroad?
1. The newness of everything
As soon as I landed in Rome in February, I felt this sensation of newness that persisted the entirety of the trip. Each day felt like a new adventure to be had. I woke up excited by the prospect of experiencing something new, and I went to bed worn out but eager to wake up the next morning.
2. The classrooms
In Rome and Barcelona where I was studying art appreciation, my class occasionally met in the basement of a church or hostel to discuss the readings, but our main classrooms were the art museums, cathedrals, and galleries that actually housed what we were learning about. Vatican City was our classroom when we were learning about Renaissance Art and the “School of Athens” by Rafael. You just can’t interact with what you’re learning like this within a typical classroom.
3. The friends I made along the way
The first day of class, I looked around at the ten other students and tried to remember each of their names. We started as a group of strangers, but one would have thought we had all been friends for years by the last night of the program. After three months of sharing a hostel bedroom with five other people, you get to know someone at a very personal level. We were all different people with differing interests, temperaments, and quirks, but we were all on the same team. We supported one another, challenged each other, and had the time of our lives together. I will always cherish the friends I made because of the Catalyst program.
4. The café culture
Oh, I miss this terribly! In Europe, I was able to just pop into a café, buy a small café au lait, and sit there for hours. Cafés were great places to do homework, to read, to unwind, and to people watch. There was no rush by the waitresses to get you out of the way, and no signs of American hurriedness in going out. In order to get the check, you have to deliberately ask for it, or else you might wait hours if you think the waitress will just bring it over. I miss the café culture and the slow, easy pace that surrounds it.
The daily cup of tea at the Elephant house where J.K. Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter books!
5. The art, architecture and history!
Every city I visited was ripe with gorgeous art and architecture spanning from the first century to modern-installations. One minute I’m mindlessly walking down a side street and the next I’m confronted with the spectacular view of the Duomo in Florence. In London, most of the museums and art galleries are free, so I would wander through them admiring everything from the Rosetta Stone to paintings by William Turner. In Paris, we spent many days inside art galleries such as the Louvre and the Musee de Orsay. Being an art geek, this trip was so inspiring for me.
The Eiffel Tower peeking out behind some 19th century apartments.
6. The struggles
Not every day was peachy. There were definitely times when my heart was extremely homesick. But in retrospect, I am grateful for these struggles because I was able to persevere through them. Without them, I wouldn’t have grown as I did. And even when I was feeling low, I was traveling around in Europe, so how low could I really get?
7. The once-in-a-lifetime experience
I came to UWF because of the Catalyst Program. I could not believe that study abroad opportunities like this existed. How many people are able to say that toured Europe when they were 18? Or ever? It is also impossible to over emphasize the education I received on this trip. My professors challenged me to apply our topics to the rest of my life. I began seeing myself within the narrators of our books for European literature class. And at a more superficial level, I learned smaller things about myself too. I like German lagers; I enjoy walking through parks by myself. I really love Spain and am inspired to travel back to study Spanish there. My experience on Catalyst broadened my worldview and widened my expectation for life (as cliché as that sounds). I am so grateful for my experience on it, and the ripple effect my study abroad experience will have on the rest of my life.
Hanging out in Hyde Park, London.