Across the Pond

Where we love is home, 

Home that our feet may leave but not our hearts.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

A couple weeks ago, 14 of my cohort members, my three professors and I traveled over to the UK to examine Universities and what they do for student support services. Going back over the pond was like going home. Something about that place allows me to breathe deeply and something that was lost within my soul was revived. We started out in Edinburgh, Scotland. Got to tour the city a lot and spend a lot of time outdoors. Some of my favorite memories from that city was discovering that we could climb to the top of the Scot Monument and got a great view of the city.

We also went on our first hike with Daisy and of course, in true American form, had a dance party when we reached the top. But it was a great view, and it was great to get some fresh air!

The first University we visited was University of Glasgow. Amazing school with beautiful architecture. I think I found what really draws me in to schools: architecture. Hook. Line. And sinker!

We then went to Aberdeen. Some of the ladies and I took a walk out to the North Sea. It's at times like that when you have to pinch yourself and verbally remind yourself that you are in Scotland. The University of Aberdeen was a great school. Didn't have the medieval architecture that was seen at Glasgow, but something about the community was so welcoming. Note that our time in Aberdeen was the only time it rained while we were abroad. 

From Aberdeen we traveled to the place I most hope to return: St. Andrews. I fell in love with the town, the school, the tradition and all the history. What I felt when I was at St. Andrew's was similar to what I felt when I came to ASU. Even though I had only been there for a short time, it immediately felt like home. The University had the closest thing to what resembles a Residence Life system here in the states. My hope is to go back to St. Andrew's for a couple months after graduating. Fingers crossed!

From there we traveled through the beautiful countryside of Scotland to Chester, England. That city has some AMAZING history and of course the day we got to tour the city, I wasn't feeling well. We had a "Hen Party" for cohort member Emily the night prior and had a pretty great time. While visiting the school, our host exclaimed they had a very extensive history as they were established in 1849. I laughed. The schools we had visited previously started back in the 1400's. By just visiting three ancient schools, we became such snobs. "Extensive history? Yeah right! Talk to us when your school's history is nearly 600 years old."

After Chester we went to Brecon, Wales. When people ask me about my favorite part of the trip, the first thing I think of is Brecon. We got to go on an incredible hike with Daisy one day and I saw views that words can't even begin to describe. The beauty was something that put me in awe. The peaks we climbed were Pen Y Fan and Corn Du. We hiked while sheep grazed among us. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. After the hike, we all went to a local pub to watch a football game of Manchester United vs Manchester City. YAY MANCHESTER CITY!

From Brecon to Cardiff. I really liked Cardiff. For some reason it reminded me of Minneapolis, except Minneapolis doesn't have a castle in the middle of it. 

Story time. So we arrived in Cardiff on a Sunday morning. Our professors wanted to give us some time to see the city so we got there early. Did some shopping in the early afternoon, then walked back to our hotel to get checked in. We then decided to walk to the Castle which was just through the city center. The castle cost 11 pounds so we decided not to check it out. From there we walked to the National Museum after getting lost for a short bit. Didn't last in the museum very long because it was just the day before that we did the long hike in Brecon, so my feet were killing me and I was in flats. Well my professors Daisy and Cathy met up with us at the museum and since it was such a beautiful day out we decided to go to the Cathedral for evening song. So we started walking. At first it was so peaceful strolling through the parks and seeing people enjoy the weather. And we kept walking and passed a cricket stadium and through some random neighborhoods. Well 15 minutes into the walk, my feet are giving me the middle finger and I'm shuffling around like an old lady. I see the group, that is now way a head of me, stop by a building which looked like a cathedral. I finally make it there and see a sign. Homeless shelter. I laugh. Why? To keep from crying! We figure out that the cathedral is about another 15 minutes in the same direction. We push on. Walked through another park and got to see a cricket game. And then finally we see the cathedral in the distance. This one looked legit. Great architecture, grave yard, good history, the whole nine yards. Get to the front. It was closed. Go figure. To top it off, we got a bus ride back to the city center and we got there in 3 minutes. Hilarious!

We also visited the University of Cardiff which was a nice university. This school also was founded in the 1800's. From Cardiff we were off to LONDON! Hooray! There is something about that city that makes me feel so alive. And to me it's interesting that a small town like St. Andrew's and a huge city like London can feel so much like home. We got to do a lot of touring of the city. The weather was fantastic so our day in the city was a 16 hour day. I got to see Abbey Road, go on the London Eye, we went to the Tower of London and hung out by Peter Pan in Kensington Park. It was awesome!

The last school we went to was Cambridge University. That school was so intimidating! To think of how many brilliant people have attended the colleges there and the things they have accomplished and the rich history of the school just blows me away. We also got to punt the cam which was a great way to end the trip! Before you know it, I was getting packed up and headed back to the states.

My time abroad was so refreshing and it really confirmed that I need to be working in International Programs. Someday! I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity and that I have this experience a part of my graduate career. If you would like to hear more, don't hesitate to ask!

Cheers!