England: Kinzie Carlson (My ‘I’m Not in the U.S. anymore’ Moment)

My “I’m not in the U.S. anymore” moment

I have to remind myself every day I wake up abroad that I’m here, and it is always a surreal moment. I had never imagined I would ever live in the UK and get the opportunity to learn in all new environments. At first, there were little reminders that I’m away from everything I’ve known back home, like the big red busses, various accents, and the vast amount of museums to explore. I’m becoming more attuned to being a Londoner, so these are becoming just a part of daily life. There are still big “wow, I’m here” moments though. Our cohort of UW girls went to Edinburgh for a weekend, with a professor from campus and a faculty member of FIE. It was a fantastic weekend, filled with learning about Scottish culture in the highlands, Scottish royalty, and foods. On the last day, I went and hiked to the top of Holyrood Park to reflect on these past few months of school. It was a peaceful fall day, with a little bit of wind. I wrote about how I never would have envisioned this to be my first year of college, and how I still can’t wrap my head around it. I now can travel on the tube without needing a map. I know plenty of English slang, like toilet paper is a loo roll. I am comfortable trying new things alone. I realized how settled I am here. Taking time to reflect on how much I’ve learned and integrated in just a few months was mind-boggling and felt triumphant, especially when reflecting on an overlook of Edinburgh. I don’t think I’ll stop having those surreal moments. This truly has been a great way to start off my undergraduate education.

Kinzie Carlson 

Major: Political Science & History

Hometown: Owatonna, Minnesota