Ever since my freshman year in college, I wanted to make studying abroad a part of my future academic plans. For some reason I always had some fascination with England . I'm not sure if the number of times I watched Mary Poppins when I was young had anything to do with it, but I loved the accents and the British .prim and proper. way of living.
My fascination quickly became a reality as I started my junior year and the option of studying overseas presented itself. Over the summer I had prepared my family and friends that I would be studying abroad spring semester and wasn't sure where yet. A few weeks into school I had decided Leeds would be my destination.
January came really quick and before I knew it, I was saying good-bye to my family and friends before heading off to the airport. There I met the people I was to spend the next five months with . little did I know these people would become my confidants and would have a place in my life no matter how busy we got.
As we landed in England, it was the adrenaline from the anxiety and excitement that kept us all awake despite the sleep deprivation we were beginning to experience. I was so taken with every aspect of England as we rode on the train to Leeds. I just sat and stared at the houses, back yards, people, and landscapes.
Shock took over my body as we arrived at Trinity and All Saints University College in Horsforth, which was to be our home for the semester. I was surprised by the old country look the school had. Green rolling hills surrounded the school and football (soccer) fields; it was everything I had imagined it couldn't possibly be because it would be too perfect. And to be honest, the five months were nothing short of perfect when I look back on it now.
Of course there were many times when I daydreamed about going home, because the British students seemed too private and cliquey. But when I accepted the fact I might have to make a little more effort, I began to have some of the best experiences that enhanced my memories about being overseas.
The friends I made taught me about their lifestyle and I taught them about ours. Even though we both spoke English, it could have been a foreign language because of the barrier that existed due to slang terms. The accents took a while to get used to because every section of England has its own accent.
Throughout the semester we kept busy by taking trips around the country with our host contact, and on our time off we planned trips to Scotland, Ireland, and set up the fine details to planning our three-week Easter holiday in April. Although we learned about the culture and history of England and began to take classes, it was the interaction with the students in our residence halls, going out at night, and having an internship that gave me a genuine sense of what being .British. meant.
The friendships I made with the people I lived with helped to change my outlook on my capabilities and the American environment I currently live in. Now I am a more confident person and secure with what makes me happy, even if it might not be the most popular choice among the rest.
I learned that there are a lot of unhappy people in the world and those people have to say things that damage the people around them in order to boost themselves up. But in the end I learned to brush those incidents off, taking it as a learning experience, and work harder on relationships with those who knew how to treat others.
The British girls I met and became friends with reminded me a bit of mine back at Marist and brought me comfort. On the other hand, some of the friendships I formed in Leeds were different in some ways from my friendships at home and made my experience abroad even more important and memorable.
I can remember going out with my friends at night and laughing the hardest I can remember laughing in a long time. During those five months, I was more happy and carefree than I thought I would ever be away from home. The British have this relaxed and laid-back way to their lives that make it contagious while living there. I think Americans could learn some valuable lessons about relaxing and not overworking from the British.
I noticed this .don't worry about it. mentality in my internship at the Morley Advertiser as well. Being a journalism major, I chose to work at a newspaper. The newsroom was unlike anything I expected . it had three small rooms with glass windows, the reporters were all men, and I was the only woman in the newsroom aside from the two secretaries.
On my first day I knew the first thought going through everyone's head: a female university journalism student from America, very interesting. Immediately I wanted to help out, I wanted to be a reporter like everyone else. I remember my mentor, Richard, telling me they were so surprised at how excited I was to work. So, of course the more interest I showed the more responsibilities I took on. By the end of my internship I was laying out and completely running the property section of the newspaper, along with writing a decent amount of articles.
Working in an environment with British people, outside of school, not only taught me about their work ethic and how British journalism varies from American media; but more importantly I was able to watch the way they interacted with me and each other. Richard and I would spend the slower afternoons talking about American movies and why we did or did not like them. We also talked about my university and lifestyle and how it differed from his.
By the time June rolled around, it was a great deal harder to leave than I had ever dreamed. I had found a place that not only helped me to learn about what my world was by forcing me to see what it was not, but also showed me I could survive and succeed anywhere I decided to go.
As I will be graduating in May, I have decided to return to Leeds. There are certainly other .incentives. aside from career opportunities waiting for me in Leeds this time, but studying abroad helped me to truly find the path I will be most happy following come graduation.
