It has been four months since I got back to the States.
Which is crazy.
Really.
Really.
CRAZY.
It has just been a very surreal experience to look back on. It just feels like it was so long ago. So as I sit here, procrastinating and thinking how I would like to be abroad again, I decided that the rest of this would be better organized into FAQs that I have gotten from people since getting back.
What do you miss the most?
Short answer:
Er. Everything.
Long answer:
Empire biscuits
Hiking around and explorin ala Dora
People being so...nice
Not really having to do a lot of coursework
Accents
All my Scottish/otherwise European friends (:
Biscuits, crisps, chips, tomato sauce, and lifts
Even the, erm... lovely residence hall of Geddes Court (except the fire alarms)
Cooking dinner with everyone
The Angry Australian who lived on my floor
Friends
Rain
Did I mention friends already?
How is the adjustment back to the States going?
Short answer:
It's going.
Long answer:
It's a process. It is a hard to think that I'm realistically not going to go back for a very long time. That I'm not going to see anyone from there for a very long time. Or eat proper empire biscuits for a very long time.
One of the issues of the adjustment is that life went on (obviously) when I wasn't at Clark. Not that I am surprised people have a life that does not revolve around me (Though I must admit this fact is somewhat disappointing). It has just been weird to try and re-insert myself into life here. Because everyone else has changed. And I have changed. But we didn't change together. And I think there is the mutual (though unconscious) expectation that we all still fit neatly into our previously designated roles. Not to get all psychological on you.
Where else did you Travel?
Short answer:
I went to Italy for a weekend. It was so amazing, and I ate so much food, and loved loved loved it.
Long answer:
I went to Scotland because I wanted to go to Scotland. Not because I wanted any ol' jumping point in Europe so that I could take weekend trips elsewhere. Not because it was the only English-speaking program that my school offers (It's not). But because I wanted to go to Scotland. I wanted castles, landscapes, accents, kilts, bagpipes, and haggis.
I mean, yes, there are a bunch of countries right there and you can just hop on a plane to Spain or Germany or France like it's no big deal, and that is really cool. And granted, I did go to Italy for a few days and LOVED it (see the short answer). But I also
really loved my experience in Scotland. I would rather people ask me about Scotland first instead of dismissing that whole experience by jumping to asking about where I traveled. I want to tell people about the school I went to, and the friends I made, and the empire biscuits I ate. Then I want to gush about Italy. :)
What were the differences between Scotland and The States?
Short answer:
Er. It's a whole different country.
Long answer:
This is possibly the broadest question there is. How does Scotland compare academically? Socially? Politically? But most importantly, I was there only 4 months. As much as I loved and experienced it, I can in no way speak about the whole country in depth and how it compares. I am not nearly qualified enough to do so. I can, however, blab about how my 4-month experience as an American in a specific area compares to my 21-year experience of two areas of The States.
Academically, there is a lot more independent work. However, there are also higher standards. In this I mean that while I didn't have to do a lot of work over the semester, it was because I should have been doing outside reading and the like. Although I would say it's pretty easy to get seconds (Bs), getting firsts and first-stars (As and beyond) is more difficult.
Otherwise, I feel that overall people were more friendly. Although I have heard (on my last evening/morning there from my Scottish R.A.) that this is because I'm American, and that Scottish people are in reality not very nice to each other.
Everything was so beautiful. Enough so to make me consider living in the country and not a city (which again, those of you who know me know that this is not something I would consider under normal circumstances).
Did you try Haggis?
 |
| Don't "Google Image" haggis. Just don't. |
Short answer:
No.
Long answer:
No, I'm vegetarian. However the people I know that did try it liked it. So, ya know, don't hate.
How was the accent?
Short answer:
I spent the first week smiling and nodding. 'nuff said.
Long answer:
It was definitely hard at first. Although no one actually sounds like Mel Gibson in
Braveheart it was a good week of smiling and nodding when people spoke to me because I had no clue.
But also, there are so many variations of the accent. I also think I like Glaswegian accents the best, at least those that I heard. They are more....crisp, I think is how I would describe them. Or clipped? Hm. I also tried to find a good youtube video to illustrate this, but the internet is being slowsky and I didn't have the patience. So, look it up!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well, those are my final thoughts on Scotland. I know some of yous asked me to write about my adventures in Worcester, which I will get on....soon. :)
