During the first two weeks in May, I was given the opportunity, with the Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars Program, to go on an education abroad trip to London, England. The focus of this trip was on the foundations of sport, specifically sports that were developed and have major impacts in the United Kingdom. We went on walking tours of the city and discussed where sports such as rugby and soccer were first established, we were able to tour the grounds of Wimbledon, Olympic Park, and Emirates Stadium, as well as historic sites around the city.
This education abroad trip pushed me in ways I was not expecting, and for that I feel that I was able to grow drastically. This was the first time I had ever been out of the country, so the cultural differences, while not to dramatic, were a bit of a shock to me, and these differences were something I had never had to deal with. There was also the added element of independence. There were days were free time was ample, with no set structure. Being set free in a city as big as London can be quite overwhelming. However, I found this new confidence within me. While this trip was only two weeks long, this newfound confidence gave me the courage to explore new places, try new things, and experience a world different than one I had ever experienced, and this is something that I will take forward as I look toward graduate school.
Change can be a scary thing, and what kind of change taking place can depend on the individuals surrounding you and the support systems that you have in place at the moment. Luckily for me, I was surrounded by supportive individuals, including some of my closest friends and a mentor that has been there for me since the beginning on sophomore year. The group that I traveled with totaled 13 individuals, and so this allowed me to forge new relationships with people that I had only known at a very shallow level. After being stuck in airports for over 20 hours, you get to know people really well.
London is a city of ample opportunity. It is a city that has so much to offer its’ visitors, as well as its’ residents, as long as you know what you are looking for. It is also a city where, if you do not know what you are doing or where you are going, things can go wrong, fast. It was important at all times to know our surroundings, know what train to take, what areas were safer than others, and who to trust. This knowledge did not come to me at first, and the first few days in the city were, while not problematic, a little more stressful than I was expecting. I think that it was around the third or fourth day when we had the chance to explore on our own that it finally hit me, that I finally got my bearings and could be confident in leading both myself and others to the correct destination without hesitation.
This newfound confidence carried itself through the rest of the trip, and because of this I felt so much more comfortable. By forcing myself into an uncomfortable situation, I had to adapt in order to excel, and when that finally clicked, it was such an amazing feeling. Going to London gave me the opportunity to experience places, meet people from all around the world, and immerse myself in a culture that is completely different than my own.
My trip to London was not transformational because of just one person, one experience, or one place. It was a combination of my peers, my mentors, new places, new knowledge, and new experiences that allowed this trip to mean something more than a 2 week vacation in a different country. London is a beautiful city and has so much to offer, you just have to be willing to find those experiences.
One of the main things I wanted to take out of STEP and out of my signature project was the idea of finding myself and figuring out what I wanted to do in this life. Now, I know that is a lot to ask out of a program. But, by participating in STEP and traveling to London, I took a step in the right direction. I want to make a change in this world. I need to make a change in this world. And in order to make these changes, I need to know the world. I need to see how people different from myself experience this world. I need to see what other experiences are out there. Through my STEP Signature Project, I was able to start the adventure of figuring these things out, and in that, find a part of myself that was missing for a long while.
I remember sitting in my office talking with you about what you were interested in writing for your STEP proposal. Based on your post above, you found exactly what you were looking for! I am so thankful you were able to have this opportunity and I hope you are able to bring back the knowledge you gained to OSU.