Rachel Rickenbach – China and England
Study
abroad caught my eye the instant I stepped foot on my first college campus. I
thought “I could do that…” and in the summer after my junior year, I did! I
went to China. Because someone who has never traveled internationally or been
on a plane for more than 3 hours should go to the cultural opposite of the US
spending nearly 18 hours flying, right?! Right. However, Chinese is my minor
and logically, China was the best choice - soon to become one of the greatest
experiences I’ve had to date.
A few things
to keep in mind when you take those first steps into a new country is to most
importantly - breathe, and then realize that it will all be okay, you will make
friends, you will survive the language barrier (with trial and error), and you
will adapt! After traveling for nearly a full day on a plane, suffering through
3 time zones of flight delays, and exhaustion I had never felt before, the only
thing I wanted to do when I got to China was cry. I realized right then that I
could either be exhausted and feel sorry for myself, or put into perspective
that I MADE IT and suck it up!!!
Here’s me, a few hours later, with my now best friend and
future bridesmaid on the Suzhou campus. I captioned this Instagram: “First day
update: flew 18 hours, my luggage was lost, I haven’t changed clothes in 3
days, but walking around Suzhou University with cans of grapefruit vodka (for
$1) is legal!” My point: if you make it through the tough part, you will get an
amazing Instagram that breaks your likes record. Kidding….
After a
fantastic night of sleep I truly got to appreciate the beauty of seeing a new
place for the next month. Take as many pictures as you possibly can!! One of my
favorite pass-times is to return to my old albums and reminisce on how fun it
was to be on a boat in the Hong Kong Harbor, climbing The Great Wall, or
clubbing in Shanghai. I also highly suggest writing down what you did every day
in a journal because as much as we hate to admit it, we forget even the best of
experiences. A journal will help you keep those memories forever, and brighten
your day when you go back to read! And reality.
Now that
the most basic of advice has been given, I’ll try and get into specifics.
China: crowded, hot and humid, extremely difficult language
barrier, questionable meats. There will be things in every culture you
experience that you don’t like, and that is okay. Just remember, you don’t have
to stay there forever if you don’t want to, and you chose to take this
experience to learn about other cultures, not dwell on the things that are a
little off from home. Some of the quirky things I did not initially like about
China I found myself missing (getting my picture taken while trying to use the
restroom), so try and be as open-minded as possible, take it with a grain of
salt, and embrace where you are!! As I said earlier, China got hot and humid!!
We packed lightly and re-wore things; you can also get your laundry done and
it’s very cheap if you start to stink up a room. Don’t even think about just bringing
your cute pairs of shoes. You will walk miles upon miles a day and your feet
will bleed ~ personal experience. This goes for any country in any continent
that you guys are visiting.
Your roommates, other people from university,
or that random girl you became friends with on a bus will be your LIFELINES.
Travel embodies glamorous, thrilling, and exciting feels, but being away from
the people you’re comfortable around is hard. Especially hard if you are 13
hours of time difference away and you can’t pick up the phone to call your mom
at all hours of the day. The people around you are there for that reason. Use
them. Anyone that is on study abroad already has a similar mindset to you, and
odds are, you’ll find someone great to be your new “go-to” and they will turn
into a lifelong friend. By the end of not only my China study abroad, but after
my England semester (info soon to come), as well, I had two study abroad
families that were so special. Only they understand those inside jokes about
the long nights, justifying that expensive cab ride, and breaking a few rules
with along the way.
Other random tidbits of advice, especially visiting a
country that speaks another language:
- Portable phone charger = friend. You’ll never see your phone
die faster while taking photos/finding wifi and getting lost STINKS
- Always bring an umbrella in your suitcase
- If you can’t speak the language, have your hotel/other
locations written down for cab drivers in the native language
- STAY WITH FRIENDS DO NOT GET TAKEN
- Having cash on hand is way more necessary abroad than in the
US
Leaving China was extremely hard. I felt more confident,
worldly, aware of how big everything outside of Arkansas is, and I enjoyed who
I was. I knew immediately upon return I
had to go again. So, one year and a half later (yes, I’m in my 5th year of
college) I found myself packing up my suitcase for a semester. England, here I
come.
I attended the University of Essex in Colchester, England,
for the fall of 2016. Colchester is about 45 minutes by train outside of
central London. WOW if I thought I was nervous for China, it had nothing on
going for a semester. A list of thoughts running through my head on the plane:
- Why did I do this?
- A semester is a long time (it’s actually not)
- England is cold and has constant rain, why did I do this?
- What if British people hate Americans?
- What in the world is the tube?
- I won’t see my animals (and family) for months….
- I’m so excited let’s do this
Soooo I came a few weeks early, traveled around with one of
my high school mates, and my nerves wore off within a day. Maybe even faster.
Europe was just as gorgeous as I had hoped. The architecture and history have
so much depth. You can take trains through the countryside and can drink a beer
at any point of the day and it’s totally acceptable. London was fast-paced,
full of life, and jam-packed with people from all over the world – right up my
alley. After exploring London, Bern, Switzerland, and Paris, France, it was
time to move into my new home!
Moving into my flat in Colchester was…. interesting. I had
14 roommates and I believe my exact words were: “You’re kidding me, right?” I
lived with 3 girls in Fayetteville and that felt like two too many. I now lived
with 4 boys and 10 girls and I love each one of them more than I can put into
words. As I said earlier, these people are your lifelines. Take that leap - be
awkward and ask someone to go eat with you or walk to town! Sooner or later
you’re going to feel like you’ve known them forever and will be sobbing into
their arms when you leave each other ~ personal experience.
Get used to
saying the following slang words in England. And just know if you ask for
Ketchup, you’ll probably be laughed at.
- “Flat” = apartment/home
- “Americano” = black coffee
- “Keen” = the equivalent of an “I’m down, let’s do it” and
can also be used in question form
- “Hoover” = vacuum
- “ten-ers” = 10 Pound bill
- “proper” = the right way to do something i.e. “a proper
meal” or “a proper nap”
- “chips” = French fries
- “on holiday” = vacation
Generally, in the UK as well as the rest of Europe, people
dress a bit nicer during the day. You see less of the yoga pants + messy bun
look and more of jeans + boots + stylish jacket + “I showered today” look. This
was honestly one of those quirks that I initially wondered, “who cares if I
don’t look as nice for class or errands,” but coming home I gained an
appreciation for it. Why not dress nicer? It makes you feel better. Everyone
wears dark colors all the time, as well, so if you are wanting to adopt the
European look, bring all the black articles you own and the skinniest pants you
can find.
Lots of students also choose to study in Europe for the easy
access it provides to travel around multiple countries! I did this and don’t
think there is a cheaper or more comfortable way to see Europe. There are a
bunch of budget airlines such as JetBlue, Ryanair, and Easy Jet; I personally
used Ryanair only because it always worked out the best with my schedule. If
you get on Skyscanner.net, you can search based on dates/countries and figure
out where the cheapest places are to see! I got to visit Stockholm, Sweden (my
favorite of all), Madrid, Spain; Dublin, Ireland, as well as The Cliffs of
Moher; Edinburgh, Scotland; plus Bern and Paris previously!
I had wonderful experiences using AirBnB while traveling!
All the hosts we had provided us with local suggestions as well as clean and
properly furnished flats. I also used hostels from hostelworld.com and did not
ever encounter a sketchy or unsafe one. They are both cheap options, especially
if you are traveling in groups. I packed only in a backpack on every trip I
took and let me tell you, it is SO worth it to bring less. You usually have a
lot of shuttling around to do and the less you must carry, the better. As you
experience these new places, you will notice cultural differences.
Some of the
biggest ones I picked up on were:
- You are not rushed to finish a meal; dinner is later and
takes hours
- You don’t tip (usually)
- Personal space in restaurants does not really exist – the
tables are extremely close to each other
- In Spain, there is a dedicated period during the day called
“Siesta” where everyone is supposed to take a nap and the city shuts down
temporarily
- Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way; you will get run
over so do not step into the road
- LOOK LEFT NOT RIGHT when crossing
- PDA is everywhere - just be ready for that
- Everybody smokes
- *** You will have a significantly less number of assignments
that count for your whole grade***
- GET A CALENDAR
I hope some of this advice will help bring clarity to some
of you! Colchester became my home. I am sitting in the Atlanta airport writing
this blog post upon my return to the US wondering how in the world to write
sentences that could be used to describe my experience there. I am devastated
to leave and I miss my friends so much already.
If you’re reading this
wondering if you should study abroad, do it. Dooooo it. I will keep those
friends and those memories closer to my heart than most other things. The
University of Essex showed me what college is supposed to feel like. I know
what it’s like now to belong somewhere and to meet those friends you feel like
you can’t live without.
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