Allison Deaton
Summer 2015, “British Literature in Great Britain”
England & Scotland
Growing up, I always enjoyed traveling with my family, seeing new places, and looked forward to the
summer adventures we would take. So when the opportunity to study abroad was presented to me, I jumped
right on it! One month and five countries later, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I remember on the way to the
airport I was nervous to be leaving my family for so long and live in a completely different country for the next
few weeks. Little did I know, the amazing friendships I was about to make, the nights full of memories and
laughter, and the adventures that would definitely never be forgotten!
We started with the first five nights in England, where we stayed in Paddington. These first few days
were essential, from overcoming jet lag, finding our way around London, and interacting with the locals, it was
definitely a cultural shock. Interacting with the locals was one of my favorite parts, I loved being able to talk to
them and hear their stories, which illustrated how their daily lives differ from ours.
After five nights in Paddington, we began a week of traveling. We rode a train to Edinburgh Scotland,
which was by far my favorite place. While in Scotland we visited, the Holyrood House, St. Giles Cathedral,
Edinburg Castle, the Rossyln Chapel, and a few museums. The landscape all around us was amazing, and our
three short days flew by. Our group then returned to England, stopping for two nights in Bath. There we visited
the famous Roman Baths, which were absolutely breathtaking. From Bath we went to Salisbury, England, and
stayed another two nights at Sarum College, which we were able to take a day trip to Stonehenge and Avebury.
After our stay at Sarum College, we traveled by train back to London, where we arrived and settled into
our flats for the last two weeks of our trip. During this time, we were able to visit many different castles,
cathedrals, museums, and of course venture out in our free time for sightseeing at places of our choosing.
During the last two weeks of our trip, we had a four-day free weekend, and two free days. My free
weekend was spent traveling to and from Ireland with my friend Heather Dennis. While in Ireland we made the
most of our time and ventured out for long, but fun filled days! We were able to go to the Ireland Zoo, tour the
Dublin Castle, walk across the famous Ha’Penny Bridge, visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and ended up taking a
day trip to see the Cliffs of Moher. We flew back to London, England, visited some more sights with our group
and then we were off again for another free day. Heather and I took the Brit Rail to Wales and spent the day
exploring Cardiff. We toured Cardiff castle and then spent some time just exploring this beautiful country. Our
last day studying abroad, was spent taking a day trip to Paris, France. I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Eiffel
Tower and couldn’t have picked a better way to end my month abroad.
This trip was such a wonderful opportunity for me. We didn’t just have class in a normal classroom
setting, some classes were held on the train while traveling from country to country, and some were held in the
lobbies of hostels where we were staying for the night. No matter where we were at the time, we all gathered
around to discuss our readings and talk about their relevance to what we were either about to see or what we
had seen that day. What a fantastic experience it was to tour all these wonderful places and learn about their
culture firsthand. This trip not only helped me grow academically, but it also helped me grow as an individual.
Studying abroad was a once in a lifetime experience that I hope everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy. If
you are considering Studying Abroad, do it! I promise you will not regret it!