Student Bloggers
Next Stop, Stirling
Date
June 10, 2015
By Hannah K., University of Stirling Summer, Scotland
In two short days, I will be on my way to Stirling, Scotland where I will spend the next eight weeks traveling, embracing a new culture, and occasionally studying. What drew me to Scotland you ask? I’m not sure I have an exact answer. I knew that I wanted to go someplace that I could easily navigate and somewhere somewhat off the beaten path from where all my friends went. These two things, coupled with the fact that one of my Aunts is from Ireland, made Scotland an enticing choice.
To be quite honest, I’m not sure I really knew that much about Scotland when I first applied to study abroad there. Everything I knew, I knew from watching Braveheart, a high school production of Brigadoon, and a few quick Google searches. Regardless, I fell in love with the pictures of green landscapes, castles, and the sense of adventure they implied.
While I’m across the pond, I have a few bucket list adventures. After taking Spanish for seven years while growing up, I’ve always harbored a dream of going to Barcelona. I also want to explore Ireland: mainly Dublin and hopefully Galway. However, I do plan to spend a significant amount of time exploring Scotland. I plan to attend part of the British Open, spend time at the Isle of Skye, venture through the highlands, and see as many castles as I can. Most importantly, I’m excited for the sporadic, last second trips that I will take with my future classmates.
I managed to already conquer the biggest challenge of my abroad experience: packing. I had one checked bag and a backpack to fit eight weeks worth of clothing and supplies. I can’t tell yet if I completely under-packed or completely over-packed. I ended up not packing half the things I originally planned to as I figured I could always buy whatever I needed once I arrive.
I can’t wait to share everything about my upcoming adventure. What’s my next challenge? Conquering airport security and making sure I get on the right plane. Knowing me, there’s a good possibility I accidentally end up on a plane destined for Australia.
Hannah King is a student at the Trinity College, Connecticut and is blogging from her summer abroad at the University of Stirling Summer in Stirling, Scotland.