#hogsabroad Student Starts Internship in Edinburgh, Scotland

Hi, my name is Morgan Large. I am currently a master’s student at the University of Arkansas, and I spending my summer interning in Scotland. I am interning at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in Edinburgh, Scotland in the college’s communications unit.

I have currently been in country for more than a week. One thing that keeps coming to my mind is how we, as Americans and those who do not live in a city like myself, take transportation for granted. I am so used to just getting in my Jeep and taking off to wherever I need to go. I normally don’t think of just buying a few groceries because you have to lug them all the way home, but now I do. You also don’t see the gas guzzling SUVs here, but rather quite smaller cars and an increased emphasis on recycling, green house gases and reducing your overall carbon footprint.

This week I have walked, navigated the vast bus and tram systems as well as been lucky enough to catch rides with coworkers. Figuring out transportation and getting around this city was overwhelming and intimidating. I was in a new place with new people, but I was lucky enough that minus certain brogues everyone speaks English.

 

Another thing I can say is that if I would have came to Edinburgh 10 years ago, I would have been even more stressed. The technology on my iPhone has made it possible for me to navigate around the city finding places I want to see, where to eat and how to ultimately find my way home. I have seen so many places because of the maps app on my phone and the app for the bus system.

I hope I can soon master traveling around Edinburgh with ease, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of this experience has to offer.