Cyfarchion pawb!
My dragon, Hangnail, and I
spent the past four months in beautiful Carmarthen Wales! And, if I'm
going to be completely honest, we both wish we were still there. The
hill dotted landscapes, the gorgeously overcast sky, the cultural trips
we took to castles, beaches, coal mines, and a little place called
London!! This past semester has easily been one of the most fulfilling
and wonderful experiences of my college career, possibly my entire life.
I'm sure in this post I'll be echoing thoughts from my dear friends
Rachael Bechtel, Amanda Neff, and Marissa Sarver; but bear with me
because... why not? Could be fun.
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| Hangnail (and dinner!) |
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| William |
Actually, that last sentence
sort of described the best parts of my experience. There's something
about being a student studying abroad that releases your inhibitions and
helps you ignore that part of your brain that says 'hey, maybe we
should just stay in bed and do nothing all day.' And that doesn't
require having a plan every night or an activity every moment of the
day. In fact, some of my best memories were when I thought to myself 'I
should just wander around Carmarthen and see what happens.' When I did
so, I would meet people I recognized, even if I barely knew them, and
we'd strike up a conversation. I was foreign, so they were naturally
curious about me, and of course I wanted to get to know them. Even
during Easter Break, when I wandered three of the biggest cities in
Europe by myself (except Hangnail, who was with me through it all!),
that attitude of 'let's try something new' gave me the fondest memories
and most worthwhile experiences that I wouldn't trade for all the gold
in the world! I ate a hot dog in a baguette in Paris, hiked the seven
hills of Rome, sat in a Greek coffee shop reading plays, and spoke with
some of the most interesting people I have ever met. Even the days when I
got lost (and sometimes when I say days, I mean days) I was still discovering things about the cities I was in, the people who I was with, and more importantly myself.
And
more important than the things that I did, were the people that I got
to share my time with. Though I spent very little of my Easter Break
with other people, I spent the majority of the semester surrounded by
the most loving and caring individuals that one could ask for. Without
question the highlight of my study abroad experience was the people that
I shared it with. From my classmates, who were supportive and caring,
to my teachers, who brought me new perspectives on my craft and career,
to my flat-mates, all of whom were study abroad students as well. That
last group especially was something that took my by surprise. As many of
you, I have had roommates in the past and while I've always been fond
of them, I never cared for them much more deeply than as a friend. I
expected the same from my time in Wales. But there's something about
studying abroad, and living with people who are also studying abroad,
that makes people want to latch on to each other. By two or three weeks
in I was genuinely shocked by how much I cared for these people and,
even more surprisingly, how much they cared for me. We really became
like a family, we even organized ourselves into what order we were as
siblings! (I was the middle child, and it was startlingly accurate.) Our
flat family studied together, partied together, celebrated birthdays
together, and even had dinner together every Sunday! I got to know those
seven people in four months better than I know some people I've been
friends with for years! In all honesty, I consider them my sisters, I
would drop everything if they asked me to. They are what kept me going
all semester, them and the wonderful people I got to work with every
day.
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| Good friends |
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| Good travel companions |
Now I'm not going to lie to you. Every day is not
sunshine and rainbows. You're going to have bad days
and good days. And for those of you who haven't studied abroad yet, I'm
gonna spoil it and tell you what the two hardest days are. The day you
arrive and the day you leave.
The day I got to Wales was
exhausting to say the least. Eight hour flight, seven hour wait for the
bus, five hour bus ride, and ultimately a very late arrival in a brand
new place. To make matters worse, the outlets in my room didn't work, so
my phone was dead and I had no way to contacting my loved ones other
than a voicemail from the main office desk. 30 hours of no sleep, no way
to communicate with family, and a brand new environment was enough to
make even the boldest person scared, and I am not the boldest person. I
was even contemplating how angry my family would be if I called them and
asked for a plane ticket home! Needless to say, I'm thrilled that I
didn't. But it was a rough night.
But it was nothing compared
to my last day. Saying goodbye to my classmates was hard, soul crushing
in all honesty. But saying goodbye to my flat-mates, as well as the
other Americans who were put in a different flat, was... well, many a
manly tear were shed. These were people I came to think of as family, as
people I could rely on even in the worst of circumstances. And I'm
supposed to say goodbye (to all but four of them) possibly forever? It
was a brutal day, and the next few days of being home were no picnic.
Nearly every day I woke up in hot-as-hell, sunny-as-hell, sure-not-Wales
North Carolina, I counted how many possessions I could sell to afford a
plane ticket back. And even today, Hangnail and I miss our
sheep-infested, cool, silver-skied homeland. Because it did become our
home, and a place that we are determined to return to one day, as soon
as we can!
Some of you heard all that and thought 'well jeez!
That sounds emotionally exhausting! I can't handle that!' Well Ted, that
would be just about the stupidest thing you could do with your college
education. Yes it's hard, and yes it's emotional, and yes (depending on
where you are) food is expensive, but those are all just tiny blemishes
on the glorious, golden beauty that it studying abroad. Wherever you go,
I promise you that you will find amazing people to befriend,
experiences that you could never get here in <insert city> North
Carolina, and (to use a ridiculous cliché) you will find yourself. Wales
gave me a precious gift, confidence and pride in myself. I grew as a
human being over there, emotionally, intellectually, maturity-ally, and
it wasn't just me. Everyone I studied with left Wales as vastly
different people than who came. Some gained perspective, some gained
self-discipline, and most (like me) gained confidence and self-respect,
two of the most important things every person needs to consider
themselves an adult. So here's my advice to you: try as many things as
you can, go as many places as you can, talk to as many people as you
can, and if you ever feel like you're not good enough to do something or
if you are afraid to try something then remember the words of the
immortal Shia LaBeouf and just DO IT!
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| Intrepid travelers |
William Yates
Trinity St. David
Carmarthen, Wales
