By: Molly Goodwin
Living in the same town your whole life, you might
think: I know this city inside and out, like the back of
my hand, there’s no point in going somewhere completely
new, learn a whole new lifestyle, get used to a new town.
Or, like me, you may think: I gotta get the heck out of
here! Other places have always interested me, knowing that
there are several thousand different cities within the 50 states
that are awaiting new tourists and citizens. There are almost
endless possibilities within the United States. I was 19 years old when I
applied to study abroad. It was a huge step for me. I
love being close to friends and family, and Europe was
5,000 or so miles away from something I’ve been used to
my entire life. I wasn’t 100% okay with the idea of
being that far away for almost half a year; it seemed
scary. I’ve never moved outside of my hometown. I’ve never
stayed in another city or state for more than two weeks.
This was the biggest step I’d ever taken in my life. I
have always wanted to live outside of Evansville, and even
out of Indiana. But out of my own country? That was
almost insane to me. Was I doing the right thing? Will
I even enjoy myself there? What if I don’t belong? These
three questions, including several others, raced through my
head daily, just waiting to hear if I was accepted or
not into Harlaxton. A few months after applying, in
mid-October I received an email from an adviser at Harlaxton.
I was hesitant to open. If I was accepted, I would be
living in Europe. If not, I’d continue my life in
Evansville. It was an acceptance letter. My heart was
racing, I was both ecstatic and nervous. I immediately went
to Facebook and decided to share this life-changing event, I
received so many positive comments and encouragements. One
important factor that helped me believe Harlaxton was the
perfect choice for me was that my mother, when she was in
college, attended Harlaxton and loved it. If there was one
school my parents wanted me to go to, it was Harlaxton. I
knew I would be in good hands. My fellow classmates would
be from the states, so we’d all be going through the same
thing: culture shock and homesickness.
For some people, homesickness hit them right away, practically
the moment they walked into the school, or got off the
plane in London. For some people, it still hasn’t hit
yet. For me, it is just now hitting. I know getting
culture shock two months into the semester can be a
little late. I’m just now realizing how far away I am
from family, because I’ve been gone for this long. I
realize that it can be difficult to communicate with them
every day due to the extensive 6 hour time difference. That
hits me pretty hard. It’s also hard to talk to friends
and my boyfriend.
Though he is only 5 hours ahead, versus 6
from my friends and family, it’s still difficult. I’ll be
waking up for the day, and they’ll be going to bed or
already asleep. I’ll be going to bed and they will be
sitting down and eating dinner. It’s hard. If I could give
any advice, always take the opportunity to study abroad.
Even if it’s for a few weeks, a summer, or a month or
two. Getting to live in another country has been extremely
beneficial for me. I had no idea what England was like
before I came here. Now, I am learning a whole different
culture and it’s an amazing experience. I am doing what
I’ve always wanted to do, travel the world. Once you’re in
Europe, you can travel to other countries for as low as
£10. That’s an incredible price. You can even learn cultures
of non-English speaking countries. For example, I traveled to
Denmark, where most of their language is Danish. Sure, we
had to use Google translate, but it was incredible to learn
about a whole other culture and environment. Though you might
be far from the ones you love, technology is advancing so
much: you have Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype and endless other
apps that will let you video chat or text family and
friends. Take this opportunity, because there’s a huge chance
you won’t get to do something as incredible as this
again.
