Allison Williams: My Second Home

I had always dreamed of studying abroad. From the moment I found Lander I contacted the studied abroad office. The countdown to my junior year so that I could head off to Winchester, England could not have come any slower yet my time in Winchester went by too fast. It was everything I ever hoped for and more. It became my second home.

Lander University promotes Winchester as the place to study abroad because you can go anywhere and everywhere. If you go there, you do not have to stay put; you can go to France, Spain, Germany, and more. This was an ideology that really appealed to me. I could really get my adventure on, if you know what I mean? I think this is why England is one of the top destinations for studying abroad at Lander.

Thus, the idea of being able to travel everywhere was one of my main reasons for choosing Winchester, England. I had the intent to travel everywhere. I did travel a lot, but really I fell in love with the community at the University of Winchester and I was happy right where I was. This community I found was within my flatmates, swim team, and church group. I had found happiness in Winchy Winch, a home away from home. 

My dream growing up was always to be a swimmer. However, it was never possible due to life circumstances growing up. The University of Winchester changed this for me. The uni lets anyone be a part of a sports team, so I took this opportunity. I will never forget jumping into the pool for the first time and being overwhelmed with peace as I began swimming through the water. However, what really made the swim team so special for me was the people. They were people who I could count on, but also people who would get me out of my comfort zone.

Every Wednesday we went out for BOP. A night where we all played games together and dressed up for themes. We would dance all night long and share many laughs. Two of my favorite memories with swim are the bus ride to Spain for TOUR, and Pub Golf. On the way to Spain we all had to do karaoke for the entire two decker bus with a microphone at full volume. It was hilarious. I did RAP GOD by Eminem, and what a site that was ahahahah. Then with Pub Golf, everyone had to take my drinks for me because I will never be skilled at drinking like the Brits. This is something I have accepted.

Then I had my church family too. I had zero intentions of joining a church abroad, but it was one of the best choices I made. This group truly helped me dive back into my religion, supported me, loved me, and really helped me on the healing journey I had begun with myself. They were my first car ride on the opposite side of the road, and my first true camping trip. More specifically, this camping trip was hardcore with tents that held like 5 people each and little stoves. I remember helping my friends cook pasta on one of those little stoves for 50 people. I also had my 21st birthday on this trip. At midnight me and a few of my friends were in a tent with a flashlight. They sang happy birthday to me and then we chowed down on some gummy worms and bears to celebrate.

Then my flatmates, the people I would not have survived study abroad without. They became my second family. My flatmates were Nicolas, Declyn, Kesy, Dennis, and Emily. People of no judgement and lots of love who all came from different backgrounds. They were my safe space and the type of people when you came back home at the end of the day they really refilled your energy.

I will never forget how Nicolas was when I first met him—he was so quiet and reserved. It took us awhile to break him out of his shell. All we knew at first was he weighed all of his food and only ate pasta with oil. But by the end of the year, he was having “dad” talks with us, watching movies with us, and even told us his dreams and how in another life he would be a medieval knight. Which if you ever met Nicolas, he is a luxury and James Bond loving man so every time he shared his thoughts it was just so funny because he really gave off mystery man.

Then there was Declyn who told us stories of how he had lions in his yard, and a pet wolf. How one day his sister had an anaconda come out of her sink and that was just a typical laugh for them. Declyn would become like the dad of our little household—from cooking for us to helping us with anything. Two of my favorite memories with Declyn are when I dragged him to Wales for a concert because he had not traveled anywhere, and I watched him have the time of his life. We also stayed at a hostel that locked up our stuff overnight so that was eventful. My second is when we would stay up all night playing guess that song in the kitchen.

Then my best friend abroad Kesy, we were like the same exact person, but also we were so different. One of my favorite things is how we lived together but would have sleep overs in each other’s rooms. We became so close, but there is a story behind it. I had known her a week, and somehow I convinced her to go on a weekend trip to Bath, UK with me. It was the best little weekend trip ever. We stayed in a hostel with 16 bunks where people would not stop snoring and yelling at each other for snoring. Meanwhile, me on bottom bunk and her on top, we could not stop laughing because we were sending memes back and forth the entire time, mind you it is like 3:00am. Then in Bath we also went and saw a movie that we thought was just a casual little adventure movie, that turned out to be very inappropriate. I think we were instantly bonded after that experience. We were caught very off guard. From this trip on we were inseparable.

Then I have countless stories of memories we all share together. We would do all night puzzles, and then miss class the next day or drag ourselves in. I have no regrets, by 2:00am we would be delusional, and it would just become endless laughter. I’ll never forget when we finished a puzzle, and it had missing pieces. We were so delusional that all we could do was laugh. Then another night for no reason, we tried to test each other’s knee reflexes and to be honest it just ended with us bruising the heck out of each other, but we were laughing so hard we were in tears.

I had no intentions of building such strong foundational relationships abroad and loving Winchester, England so much that it became a second home. I really thought I would be gone constantly, traveling everywhere. I am so thankful for what I experienced, and that I really did embrace England to its fullest. I would do anything to be able to wake up and walk down the hill to the grocery store, or to the pub for some beans on toast, or to the park outside of the cathedral for a picnic. But mostly I would do anything to be back at my second home again.

Allison Williams is an Interdisciplinary Studies major of Educational Psychology for Special Populations. She is graduating in December 2024 and is attending Baylor University after Lander to pursue a master’s of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Allison studied abroad for the entirety of her junior year 23’-24’ in Winchester, England at the University of Winchester. She wants to encourage everyone to study abroad because she says it is the best thing she has ever done! She can be contacted for any questions or advice at williamsgraceallison@gmail.com.