Ashlee had the experience of a lifetime while in Alnwick, England. In the Fall semester of 2019, she had the opportunity to stay in the Alnwick Castle, which also happens to be a St. Cloud State University campus. This unique program is a great introduction to traveling. As a group, SCSU students, faculty, and staff work together from beginning to end. They fly over, live, take classes, and sometimes travel together. Fortunately, Ashlee connected well with her classmates and still tries to get in touch once a month, to relive their cherished memories.
Some of her favorite memories are from her group and individual excursions around Europe:
- Hadrian’s Wall: This long stretch of wall was visited by her class and professors. She said, “I was just trying to embrace everything that was coming at me. We had no idea where we were going, but our professors did. I felt alive. It was such a powerful moment.”
- Iceland: This was her first individual trip. While debating what to do over the weekend, she thought, ‘I have a free weekend; I guess I’ll go to Iceland’. This is the beauty of studying abroad in Europe. You can easily travel to other countries and cities through various forms of transportation. It is also important to note that they are often cost-effective. The landscape of Iceland was breathtaking. She said, “This was like no other place I had ever seen.” It was beautiful, unique, and full of volcanic rock.
- Paris, France: She took a solo trip to Paris and was prepared for anything. She was told that the city was dirty but went in open minded and found it to be beautiful in its own way. When she first laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower, it kept her attention. “It was a moment I will never forget,” Ashlee said.
- London, England: On another solo excursion, Ashlee made her way to London. She loved everything about this city. Her favorite place was the London Tower. The courses she was taking in Alnwick analyzed the London Tower extensively, which fostered pure fascination. After studying a place or moment in history, it means everything to visit that site. It brings everything full circle.
- The final memory that meant the world to Ashlee was the fact that her family was able to visit her during her time abroad. Both of her parents were able to join for Thanksgiving and celebrate with her. During this time, she was able to visit Scotland and New Castle with both of her parents. These experiences were very sentimental for her and will stay with her forever.
Ashlee felt supported throughout the whole experience. Initially, the thought of studying abroad did not seem feasible, due to price and the possibility of it delaying her graduation. However, her mentor encouraged her to give it a try and find the program best suited for her. After working closely with her mentor and the Education Abroad team, she decided that St. Cloud State at Alnwick would be a great opportunity for her. This example alone is an excellent representation of how supportive faculty and the SCSU community is of dreams and goals, both in Minnesota and abroad. Also, there are study abroad programs for everyone.
When asked, what piece of advice she would give to students who are not sure if they should study abroad or not, Ashlee’s instinctive answer was, “Do it!” Everything she experienced was priceless and still brings her much joy. The most difficult part of this whole journey for her was the reverse culture shock she experienced. Coming back to the United States was challenging for a variety of reasons. A few of her main conflicts were her desire to travel again and strong yearning for the environmental mindfulness she witnessed in England.
The final piece of advice she would give students who are about to or considering going abroad, is to remain as open minded as possible.
Written by Whitney Krogstad-Yambrick
Photos by Ashlee Gibson