What inspired you to go abroad?
My family has been my motivation and inspiration to go abroad. I come from a family where most of us are complacent with small, everyday life. My family is split between living in Hickman, Kentucky, and Rutherford, Tennessee, both of which are generally very small towns. Most of my family has either worked in factories their whole life or in jobs that do not require a collegiate degree.
Between my parents, I have made it the farthest in my college years, with my mom dropping out in her sophomore year to take care of my siblings and me, and my father dropping out in his freshman year due to academic probation.
Dublin Wall of Fame :)
When I was between fifteen and sixteen, I made myself a few promises. One was that I would never work in a factory, and the other was that I would experience my life to the fullest. I want to be the one to show my family that life is more than work and a never-ending cycle of sameness. I want my family to be proud of me and to be inspired and encouraged to experience more of life.
God has created such a beautiful world for us to experience, and through all of mine, I want to show my family that the sacrifice they made for me has not gone in vain, but has made me into a person who is not afraid to take the first step.
Why did you choose Bethel University Global Studies?
I chose to travel with Global Studies because they present themselves very well. Throughout my years at Bethel, I had seen many advertisements for their trips to Italy, Colombia, Mexico, and France, about which a personal friend of mine gushed nonstop.
At first, I was on the line about whether or not I should sign up for the program. Ireland and Scotland had been in the top three of my travel list for a very long time. I decided to meet with Ms. Stacie before signing up to get a better feel and understanding of how the trip would be planned out.
After my meeting, I had signed up knowing that I would be going “alone”, since I didn’t have any friends or family coming with me. I knew that God would provide me with friends along the way and that I was going to be in good hands with our group's leaders.
What was your favorite part about your host countries?
My favorite part about our host countries was the history, especially in Belfast.
From the outside, when you think of Ireland, all you think of are sheep, pretty views, and mythical fairy tales of giants, knights, and leprechauns. In Belfast, we were able to learn about the Troubles and personal experiences from our very own tour guide. Seeing the divide of the city between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, the murals, and even getting to sign the peace wall.
Before leaving the United States, we had learned a bit about the Troubles, but it didn't come into true understanding until we were there. Being able to finally understand that the people who went through these hard, life-threatening times were real people who are still alive today, and someone whom I can now call a friend. It revealed to me how privileged I am in my life and that I should never take anything for granted, because somewhere else, people are fighting for change.
Saint Patrick's Cathedral
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What made my experience extraordinary was the people. Many times, we had preconceived notions about specific groups of people or cultures. My preconceived idea was that many people from Ireland would be loud and rude based on general perceived ideas on social media. When arriving at our destination, I couldn't have been proven any more wrong.
From our sweet tour guide Harry, who loves rock music, poetry, gushes over rainbows, who never has a frown on his face, always available to help, and officially nicknamed Dopey from the seven dwarfs. Our bus driver, Dermit, who is hilarious, always ready for a photo op, takes his time to bless you with beautiful scenic views, and is always dressed to the nines. Colin, who was a Dublin-originated Bethel alumnus, with the biggest personality, funny conversations, the brightest smile, and the first person to ever give the nickname “proper lady”. And even Sean, our Belfast tour guide with the biggest heart, humblest words, amazing life experiences, and who told us the best quote: “You can always increase the peace.”
Yes, being out of America, shopping, and seeing all the beautiful views were great, but the people are what truly made my travels worthwhile.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff supported us throughout this trip tremendously. Not to brag, but we had the best tour guide ever! No matter the time, place, or reason, he was always there, ready to assist where needed. Whether it was answering our silly questions, telling us spooky ghost stories, letting us try haggis for the first time, or truly wanting to immerse us in the culture of Ireland and Scotland. There was never a time of need when we went without or wanted for nothing. Our hearts and needs were constantly filled, and he really made our trip feel like a second home.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
One thing I wish I had done differently during my time abroad was to stay longer! I was so grateful to have experienced it. When it was our last day, I was so sad; all the delicious food, beautiful cities, countryside, and connections along the way truly made me not want to leave at all. There was no reason to complain or wish for more. The trip was truly a blessing, and I would do it all over again!
A little "Rose and Jack" moment at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, Ireland
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical day in my life while abroad was waking up between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. to get ready. Then, heading on to eat breakfast and leaving our hotel no later than 8:00 am. We got to take long, beautiful, and historical bus tours through our designated cities and countryside.
After all our learning, we got to take a break for lunch and do a little bit of exploring on our own. This could mean exploring castles, walking for miles on end, finding a parthenon that looks over the entire city, going on hikes, finding cool statues, and maybe a thirty-minute break just to rest your feet for more exploring.
We often meet at certain times for walking tours around our cities, and see some local favorites and learn about their history. We would end the night with an amazing dinner, get back to the hotel, and be in bed by 9 pm, worn out and prepared for a new day of adventure.
What did you enjoy doing during your free time abroad?
What I enjoyed most about my free time abroad was being able to navigate and experience a new place on my own terms.
Before leaving abroad, I had looked up many places that I wanted to visit on our trip. Even though I may have stuck out like a sore thumb to the Irish and Scottish natives, being able to find those places on my own, whether I got lost or was following a paper map for the very first time, gave me a sense of independence. Finally finding the destination made it even better. The feeling of completion and self-efficacy to navigate a place all the way across the world on my own gives an immense feeling of achievement.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
We had amazing hotels with assigned roommates, a 24/7 tour guide, and very structured itineraries and menus for all our meals.
Having a nice place to stay made unwinding so much easier after our jam-packed days. If I had never had an assigned roommate, I do not think I would have made friends as easily as I did. Luckily, my roommate was someone I had seen around but didn't know a lot about. It brought us a genuine friendship and an amazing time shared with our whole group.
Our tour guide made everything so easy for us, whether it was the structured itineraries, giving us tips about the amazing cuisine, or recommendations on how and where to spend our free time.
Basalt columns on the side of a cliff in the countryside of Northern Ireland
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
One thing every future participant should know about the program is to prepare to walk! The time spent abroad is meant to explore, experience, and revel in a new understanding. To truly do this, you have to be prepared to go on the adventures yourself.
We are blessed with vehicles to travel and make distances shorter, but nothing beats going on a hike in the countryside of Ireland, walking on basalt rocks, going up the side of a cliff, and being able to bask in a beautiful view of the North Atlantic Ocean and just seeing God’s wonderful creations through your own eyes and not a screen.
It may feel tiring, but each step counts, and when you finally reach your destination, it shows how much it was really worth.
Would you recommend your program to others? Why?
Yes, I would recommend my program to others. Global Studies make traveling so much easier. Without the hassle of having to plan out every little minute of logistics, Global Studies did it all for me. Our itinerary was pre-planned many months before we ever went on our trip. This helped me pick a trip that best suited my wants and interests.
Being able to make monthly payments helped me budget my money for spending and saving for my trip. It also covered all of my food, boarding, and excursions, which put my mind at ease that the only thing I would have to worry about was money for souvenirs.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit of traveling abroad is putting yourself in someone else's shoes. It is so easy to get caught up in our own little world of complaining or living a complacent life. Traveling abroad forces you to get out of that mindset.
When you travel abroad, you are forced to think about others besides yourself. Whether it's your roommate and you need to know when to be quiet because they are sleeping, or what their interests are for free time. Or thinking about the customs of natives and how to be respectful and act appropriately in places where our customs might not be the same.
Traveling abroad is a real eye-opener to show you that you do not always have to be the main character, and it's okay to be a stand-in to let someone else experience a great day.
Sunny day in Ireland!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Now that I am home, my time abroad has shown me that I always need to seize the moment. There is never a time when I want to look back and say, “I wish I had done more.” Traveling makes you realize that there is so much to life, and not one person or culture has the same perspective as you.
We have so many privileges that people are in a current fight for daily. If they can live their life in the troubles searching for beauty, then there is nothing that I cannot do to live my life to the fullest while I still have time on this earth.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaningful travel means putting down your normal accustomed ways to experience a different perspective on life. I am a strong believer that you can learn something from anything, in one place, and if you say you cannot, then you are not trying hard enough. If you are able to go to a different place and come back and be able to say you have learned nothing, then you truly have not experienced.
We are like a fly on the wall, watching all that goes on around us through phones and our own mindsets. There comes a time in life when you truly need to experience and learn something that you are not accustomed to. Once you find a way to do that, that is when you can truly say you have traveled with true meaning.
