Julia Burdette: A Necessary Experience

“How was your semester abroad?” they asked me. I could have responded with something like “amazing,” or “life-changing,” or even go the funny route and say “brilliant.” There are plenty of words to describe my semester spent at the University of Winchester in the UK. However, the majority of the people who ask me this are only asking because they know I went; there’s no genuine interest, it’s another form of small talk. So, I say, “it was good!” with enthusiasm and a smile and that’s it. But this question has really made me reflect: How was my semester abroad?

Julia at Stonehenge

My decision to study abroad was made very quickly. Instead of the usual route I took when making decisions of coming up with the reasons why I should do something, my decision to study abroad was more like, why not? I’d been through a bad breakup earlier in the year, I was depressed and needed a change. At this point, I felt that I had nothing holding me here.

In the months leading up to the day I left, things got worse for me socially and emotionally. I lost friends and I wasn’t working a lot. I spent most of my summer doing next to nothing. I sank even farther into the deep dark hole that was depression. I threw myself into planning and research for my trip and finally the day arrived.

The day of my departure came, and I spent the day doing next to nothing, wasting time until time to go. I wasn’t nervous yet, but I was sure it’d hit me once I got to the airport. We drove to the airport and I said tearful goodbyes to my parents and brother. I went through security and found my gate. I still felt totally fine; I was not nervous. In fact, the feeling of nervousness never hit me. Not through the plane ride, the layover, the redeye flight across the Atlantic or even landing at Heathrow.

Before getting on the plane back in Greenville-Spartanburg airport, I’d posted a photo on Snapchat with a caption I can’t even remember, saying my goodbyes to South Carolina. That’s when I first noticed that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Friends I hadn’t spoken to in weeks reached out to wish me a safe flight and a good trip.

Then, over the first few weeks of my time abroad, people were asking me questions and commenting on my posts and checking in on me. I made new friends in Winchester, too, both British and American. I began doing things I’d always set out to do. I was checking items off my bucket list and doing more than I ever imagined myself doing. 

Julia at the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I had a fantastic social life, contrary to my social life in America. I was going to pubs several times a week, I was involved on campus with activities, I was a part of a regular group for poker nights and a weekly trivia team. I traveled to other countries and saw world famous sights like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and Westminster Abbey in London. I was walking everywhere I went, and I got into shape quickly. I tried so many new things: fish and chips in Winchester, Heineken and Dutch pancakes in Amsterdam, I had English peas and Yorkshire pudding as a part of a traditional British roast dinner. Every day there was some new experience or adventure.

During the week of Thanksgiving, my family came to visit me in Winchester. That Thursday, we were all gathered around a table for Thanksgiving dinner- put on by the University of Winchester for their visiting American students. I was surrounded by my family and my newly made friends, eating, drinking wine and laughing a lot. It was the happiest I’d been in a long time. 

The next day, I remember walking around Stonehenge with my dad, telling him that seeing Stonehenge was the first thing I ever put on my bucket list and now I was finally able to check it off. I felt such accomplishment, doing something I’d always set out to do and making my dreams come true. Even though it was late November and freezing, with fierce wind to accompany the temperatures, the sheer excitement I felt much outweighed the gloominess of England in winter.

When it was time to come home, I had lots of feelings: sadness, excitement, nostalgia… But mostly, believe it or not: nervousness. I began to wonder what kind of life I would return to at home. Would I go back to my lonely, depressed state? Would everyone interested in my travels suddenly disappear from my life like before? Would the American friends I made go back to not knowing me?

Upon my return, however, I was shocked. I rekindled friendships I’d lost. I stayed very close with the other American girls I’d befriended in the UK. The challenging coursework at University of Winchester made it a lot easier to return to curriculum at Lander. I was interesting to people, and people from home had missed me while I was gone. The experience made me strive for even more with my personal goals. I was proud of what I’d done, and I felt accomplished. It gave me a new independence and confidence in myself.

Since returning home, I’ve gotten the best grade I ever have since I started college. I’m also going out more and have more friends than I have in years. I’m balancing my schoolwork, social life, mental health and two jobs, but I’m smiling through it all. Every aspect of my life improved because of my study abroad experience, even when the trip didn’t directly impact them. 

So, when I’m asked, “How was your semester abroad?” I always say, “good!” But in reality, it was so much more than that. My time abroad was the most important thing I’ve ever done. It allowed me to unlock new potential in myself and the world and relationships around me. I don’t know what kind of semester I’d have had had I chosen to stay at Lander for fall 2018. Most likely it would have been lonely and depressing like the summer before it. So, my time abroad was not just good, my time abroad was necessary. 

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Julia is a junior psychology major from Ware Shoals, South Carolina. She is a member of Lander University’s Honors College and did her breakaway experience at the University of Winchester in Winchester, United Kingdom in 2018. She plans to graduate from Lander in 2020 and pursue a Masters degree.