STEP Post-Project Reflection
For my STEP Signature Project, I spend a month in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, Scotland taking the course Scottish History to Present Day. This was an intensive four-week program which highlighted all of Scotland’s rich history from medieval kings to Brexit. I was also able to go on many field trips around Scotland to visit castles, the Highlands, cathedrals, and many museums. One of the most amazing parts of the course was when we finished up our lecture and then took a quick five-minute walk from the classroom to the National Museum of Scotland. There we got to see artifacts and artwork of the history we had just discussed while in class.
One of my main concerns with traveling abroad was feeling like a permanent outsider. I was anxious to be in an entirely new country and was scared I would never understand traditions, customs, or how things worked. I was worried I was going to be caught acting “wrong” in a culture that isn’t mine. Another one of my anxieties came from being a person of color. I had no idea what to expect as Scotland is a very white country. Gladly, I didn’t face any problems while abroad. I had instead transformed into a more self-reliant, confident, and independent person. After only about a week, I felt more at ease and at home with Edinburgh that I thought was possible. My assimilation into Scottish society was more seamless than I imagined. Obviously, I had the benefit of already speaking English and having a researched knowledge about Scottish politics from my program, but I was afraid I would never feel at ease in Edinburgh. People at bookshops and cafes started to recognize me and by the end of the program I felt as if I had molded into the city. As I enter adulthood, I am now less anxious about living away from home; if I can do it in another country, I can do it wherever my life will take it. I had to learn a lot of new rules whilst living abroad, and I succeeded. This experience helped me gain confidence in my self-sufficiency.
A moment that stands out to me transforming into a member of Edinburgh’s society is being recognized by one of the employees at a bookshop I frequented. Lighthouse is a bookstore that was just around the corner from where my classes were held, so I went there quite often. One day as I was walking around, I saw the employee that was always there walking towards me. When they recognized me, I realized I was more than just a tourist passing by. The joy of being remembered helped me feel less like an encroaching tourist and more of a member of the community.
I have always been an anxious person when it comes to my living environment. I held negative comments within me about being a bad and untrustworthy roommate and I was scared for the strangers I was living with. I didn’t want to be a burden to them. After time, I had learned that these negative thoughts were false. I made great friends with my roommates and I we trusted each other. This experience allowed me to combat and unlearn the toxic thoughts I was taught about myself when I was younger. I transformed my mindset from a one of anxiety to confidence.
Being able to explore Scotland with a (controlled but excited) abandon was freeing. In the United States, it is near impossible to explore outside a city without a car. I didn’t have a car while in Scotland, but I didn’t feel cooped up and limited in my experience. One of my friends and I took a spontaneous day trip to Glasgow, and I couldn’t believe it was something we could easily do. Growing up in a busy city, I sometimes experienced feeling locked up and unable to explore due to lack of transportation, especially with the pandemic hitting during such developmental years. Being able to just travel freely without a car gave me such happiness; a delight I want to make possible in the states.
Living abroad gave me a sense of freedom I have never experienced before. Edinburgh is small enough to walk around, but large enough where there is always something new to see. I am a strong advocate for walkable cities and public transportation, two things America strongly lacks. My home city of Chicago is quite large but has a large public transportation system. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly better than Columbus! I was able to live in Edinburgh with no car and was able to easily walk 10 minutes to class, the grocery store, shops, and even tourism. It would be very hard to recreate that experience in the United States. Being able to see how another culture and community flourish inspires me to make my communities better. Reliable busses and a pedestrianization are possible, and being abroad has only made me more passionate for urban design.
My field of study, astrophysics, requires me to go to grad school in the future. While in Scotland I was able to visit the University of Glasgow! I have always been interested in Glasgow and seeing their Astronomy & Physics departments nestled within the wonderful city was stunning. It is now a goal of mine to attend the University of Glasgow after graduation. Seeing this university in person and walking its campus had realized my dreams into a possible reality. Living and studying abroad is not just a fantasy anymore for me.
