Watching my study abroad experience come to an end was awfully bittersweet. I was ready to get back home and see my family and friends, get some chipotle, and of course drink some refreshing sweet tea, however I did not want to leave Scotland. It is hard to put into words how lucky I feel to have had the opportunity to go on this trip. It is truly one of the best experiences I have ever had and I was blessed to have some incredible people around me. The study abroad experience in Scotland made me recognize and value the similarities and differences between different cultures, and allowed me to meet and learn from people that I would never meet in the United States.
The trip abroad was packed with fun and great learning experiences, however I would have to pick a few that were my favorite. I would have to say my favorite place that we visited was the city of St. Andrews. A small college town located on the coast of Scotland that just happens to have the most famous golf course in the world parked right in the center. The city is the birthplace of golf and you can truly feel the history as you walk around. There was a sidewalk with all the names of golfers who have won at the course so it was surreal to walk where Tiger Woods and John Daly once did. It also happened to be graduation during the time that we were there, so the town was buzzing with people and everyone was so intrigued to meet a small group of Texans. One thing I learned from the city and every city we went to was how genuine conversation and just being nice can make you a friend anywhere in the world. I had almost nothing in common with half of the people we would meet, however just being a friendly face in today’s world is special. One quote I will always remember from this trip was from an Uber driver in Dublin, he said, ?If you are friendly, you will find friendly people anywhere.? This stuck with me because it rang true throughout the rest of our trip whether it be in Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, or even the London airport where no one is having a good day.
I would like to thank Dr. Panina, Mrs. Phinney, and Mr. Boone for taking time away from their families and careers to take a group of 17 kids halfway across the world. This is truly an experience I will hold close for the rest of my life and it wouldn’t have been possible without them. To my 16 new friends, I hope to see y?all around Wehner in the fall.
