Ashlee Gibson
If I am being honest, I never thought that a person like me would end up having this incredible opportunity. Not only have I been able to travel to a whole new part of the world I have been fortunate enough to live for 3 months in a castle! I grew up in a single parent household living below the poverty line, yet here I am. I don’t want to take a single day in Europe for granted because this is an opportunity of a lifetime and I want to make the best of it. The world is your oyster after all.
Images in this post are courtesy of Ashlee Gibson
The few days of packing before leaving for Alnwick were exciting yet difficult if I am being honest. I remember stressing over what to bring because I wanted to bring everything yet nothing at the same time. I was excited but it just didn’t feel real to me yet. I was excited to start my semester abroad knowing I will be with other students who are in the same boat as me and that I will have professors and faculty from Minnesota going on this journey with me, but also to help me along the way. I am going for elementary education and I have completed my generals and so none of the classes that were offered at Alnwick were required or could apply to my major. I am however learning a lot from my British professors and Saint Cloud State professor about the UK and its history but also its current events such as BREXIT, the shutdown of the Thomas Cook Firm, the plans of renewable energy at Alnwick, and the future plans of Newcastle. I came to Alnwick for the experience and to develop more of a global perspective and the experience has been phenomenal so far!
In coming to Alnwick I did not do any research on the UK, or on Alnwick, sadly. I remember having plans to do so but never got around to it. I do, however, wish that I did do a brief research on the UK. I would have looked at its geography and updated myself on its current events, and looked into its history a bit just to be more prepared in my classes and our Friday excursions around the UK.
The UK is not really what I expected. It has more history than that of the US and it’s literally history piled on top of history, but that’s the beauty of it. As silly as this may seem I didn’t realize that I would be living where so much history was made, from the Celtic times to the Tudors and the reign of King Henry VIII. Did you know the potato was introduced to King Henry VIII when he went to a desert fest in France? I didn’t expect to be eating nearly as many potatoes, but 90% of the meals we get at Alnwick come with potatoes. They do come in various forms from fries, slices, mashed, baked, crisps or aka chips etc. I did expect a bit more travel time, but I simply needed to remind myself that I am here for school and so during most of the weekdays I will be spending a lot of my time in the castle. The rooms in the castle are a bit more dormitory style. I found out we are in the servants’ quarters which I think is a bit fascinating. There are times I forget that I am in a castle because of the more modern interior but once I peer out my window or step outside, I am clearly reminded of where I am and how lucky I am to be able to stay in a castle!
Being in the UK I decided that I want to work on my health, love myself more, do more yoga and meditation, help the environment and simply feel happy and free. In being in the UK the community avoids single use plastic as much as they can, and I don’t see many plastic bags, which I think is phenomenal! For my self love and trying to live in the moment to make it all feel more real I have picked up a long-term passion of mine, art, to be more specific sketching and painting. This helps me slow down a bit and closely observe the world that surrounds me, and I take pride in my artistic ability. I am also taking lots of photos everywhere I go in order to work on a new art of mine, photography.
The food here is not very different than that of what we have in the US, it is just prepared and served a bit differently. There are many dishes I don’t know what it is made up of or what it is called but I know it all tastes fantastic! Supper time is my favorite and I always get excited just thinking about what we might be served that day! One of my favorite dishes was this sweet and savory steak pieces served over rice and had such a mouthwatering sauce! My other favorite dish that we have had at the castle was this roast beef on top of garbanzo beans dish that tasted like a rich and flavorful roast beef stew. I just recently decided to go vegan and so I will start to be served vegan meals for all my dishes.
There are several reasons why I decided to try the vegan lifestyle. The main 3 are for my health, for the environment and for the lives and well-being of animals. So far, I have noticed I feel better, both physically and mentally, that nothing had to die or suffer for me to eat. I don’t feel guilty eating my food or grossed out when I find something in it that I wasn’t expecting like a tendon or cartilage, fat etc. I also noticed that I enjoy shopping more in the fact that I need to look at the ingredients list and not only grab what I am used to eating but being open and aware of trying new things. I really am impressed with how many products are vegan or have been created to resemble meat products but its vegan! I think this is a very comfortable way to live for me so far and I am excited to go on this unique journey and can’t wait to see what it brings.