You’re Not Alone

By: Molly Goodwin

Living​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​town​ your​ ​whole​ ​life,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​think:​ ​I​ ​know​ ​this​ ​city​ ​inside​ ​and out,​ ​like​ ​the​ ​back​ ​of​ ​my​ ​hand,​ ​there’s​ ​no​ ​point​ ​in​ ​going​ ​somewhere​ ​completely​ ​new,​ ​learn​ ​a whole​ ​new​ ​lifestyle,​ ​get​ ​used​ ​to​ ​a​ ​new​ ​town.​ ​Or,​ ​like​ ​me,​ ​you​ ​may​ ​think:​ ​I​ ​gotta​ ​get​ ​the​ ​heck​ ​out of​ ​here!​ ​Other​ ​places​ ​have​ ​always​ ​interested​ ​me, knowing​ ​that​ ​there​ ​are​ ​several thousand different​ ​cities​ ​within​ the 50​​ ​states​ ​that​ ​are​ ​awaiting​ ​new​ ​tourists​ ​and​ ​citizens.​ ​There​ ​are almost​ ​endless​ ​possibilities​ ​within​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States.  I​ ​was​ ​19​ ​years​ ​old​ ​when​ ​I​ ​applied​ ​to​ ​study​ ​abroad.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​step​ ​for​ ​me.​ ​I​ ​love being​ ​close​ ​to​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​family,​ ​and​ ​Europe​ ​was​​ ​5,000​ ​or​ ​so​ ​miles​ ​away​ ​from​ ​something I’ve​ ​been​ ​used​ ​to​ ​my​ ​entire​ ​life.​ ​I​ ​wasn’t​ ​100%​ ​okay​ ​with​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​being​ ​that​ ​far​ ​away​ ​for almost​ ​half​ ​a​ ​year;​ ​it​ ​seemed​ ​scary.​ ​I’ve​ ​never​ ​moved​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​my​ ​hometown.​ ​I’ve​ ​never stayed​ ​in​ ​another​ ​city​ ​or​ ​state​ ​for​ ​more​ ​than​ ​two​ ​weeks.​ ​This​ ​was​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​step​ ​I’d​ ​ever​ ​taken in​ ​my​ ​life.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​always​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​live​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​Evansville,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​out​ ​of​ ​Indiana.​ ​But​ ​out​ ​of my​ ​own​ ​country?​ ​That​ ​was​ ​almost​ ​insane​ ​to​ ​me.​ ​Was​ ​I​ ​doing​ ​the​ ​right​ ​thing?​ ​Will​ ​I​ ​even​ ​enjoy myself​ ​there?​ ​What​ ​if​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​belong?​ ​These​ ​three​ ​questions,​ ​including​ ​several​ ​others,​ ​raced through​ ​my​ ​head​ ​daily,​ ​just​ ​waiting​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​if​ ​I​ ​was​ ​accepted​ ​or​ ​not​ ​into​ ​Harlaxton. A​ ​few​ ​months​ ​after​ ​applying,​ ​in​ ​mid-October​ ​I​ ​received​ ​an​ ​email​ ​from​ ​an​ ​adviser​ ​at Harlaxton.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​hesitant​ ​to​ ​open.​ ​If​ ​I​ ​was​ ​accepted,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​be​ ​living​ ​in​ ​Europe.​ ​If​ ​not,​ ​I’d continue​ ​my​ ​life​ ​in​ ​Evansville.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​an​ ​acceptance​ ​letter.​ ​My​ ​heart​ ​was​ ​racing,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​both ecstatic​ ​and​ ​nervous.​ ​I​ ​immediately​ ​went​ ​to​ ​Facebook​ ​and​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​share​ ​this​ ​life-changing event,​ ​I​ ​received​ ​so​ ​many​ ​positive​ ​comments​ ​and​ ​encouragements.​ ​One​ ​important​ ​factor​ ​that helped​ ​me​ ​believe​ ​Harlaxton​ ​was​ ​the​ ​perfect​ ​choice​ ​for​ ​me​ ​was​ ​that​ ​my​ ​mother,​ ​when​ ​she​ ​was in​ ​college,​ ​attended​ ​Harlaxton​ ​and​ ​loved​ ​it.​ ​If​ ​there​ ​was​ ​one​ ​school​ ​my​ ​parents​ ​wanted me​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​Harlaxton.​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​I​ ​would​ ​be​ ​in​ ​good​ ​hands.​ ​My​ ​fellow​ ​classmates​ ​would​ ​be from​ ​the​ ​states,​ ​so​ ​we’d​ ​all​ ​be​ ​going​ ​through​ ​the​ ​same​ ​thing:​ ​culture​ ​shock​ ​and​ ​homesickness.  For​ ​some​ ​people,​ ​homesickness​ ​hit​ ​them​ ​right​ ​away,​ ​practically​ ​the​ ​moment​ ​they​ ​walked into​ ​the​ ​school,​ ​or​ ​got​ ​off​ ​the​ ​plane​ ​in​ ​London.​ ​For​ ​some​ ​people,​ ​it​ ​still​ ​hasn’t​ ​hit​ ​yet.​ ​For​ ​me,​ ​it​ ​is just​ ​now​ ​hitting.​ ​I​ ​know​ ​getting​ ​culture​ ​shock​ ​two​ ​months​ ​into​ ​the​ ​semester​ ​can​ ​be​ ​a​ ​little​ ​late.​ ​I’m​ ​just​ ​now​ ​realizing​ ​how​ ​far​ ​away​ ​I​ ​am​ ​from​ ​family,​ ​because​ ​I’ve​ ​been​ ​gone​ ​for​ ​this​ ​long.​ ​I realize​ ​that​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​communicate​ ​with​ ​them​ ​every​ ​day​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​extensive​ ​6​ ​hour time​ ​difference.​ ​That​ ​hits​ ​me​ ​pretty​ ​hard.​ ​It’s​ ​also​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​my​ ​boyfriend.

Though​ ​he​ ​is​ ​only​ ​5​ ​hours​ ​ahead,​ ​versus​ ​6​ ​from​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​family,​ ​it’s​ ​still​ ​difficult.​ ​I’ll​ ​be waking​ ​up​ ​for​ ​the​ ​day,​ ​and​ ​they’ll​ ​be​ ​going​ ​to​ ​bed​ ​or​ ​already​ ​asleep.​ ​I’ll​ ​be​ ​going​ ​to​ ​bed​ ​and​ ​they will​ ​be​ ​sitting​ ​down​ ​and​ ​eating​ ​dinner.​ ​It’s​ ​hard. If​ ​I​ ​could​ ​give​ ​any​ ​advice,​ ​always​ ​take​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​study​ ​abroad.​ ​Even​ ​if​ ​it’s​ ​for​ ​a few​ ​weeks,​ ​a​ ​summer,​ ​or​ ​a​ ​month​ ​or​ ​two.​ ​Getting​ ​to​ ​live​ ​in​ ​another​ ​country​ ​has​ ​been​ ​extremely beneficial​ ​for​ ​me.​ ​I​ ​had​ ​no​ ​idea​ ​what​ ​England​ ​was​ ​like​ ​before​ ​I​ ​came​ ​here.​ ​Now,​ ​I​ ​am​ ​learning​ ​a whole​ ​different​ ​culture​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​an​ ​amazing​ ​experience.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​doing​ ​what​ ​I’ve​ ​always​ ​wanted​ ​to do,​ ​travel​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​Once​ ​you’re​ ​in​ ​Europe,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​travel​ ​to​ ​other​ ​countries​ ​for​ ​as​ ​low​ ​as​ ​£10. That’s​ ​an​ ​incredible​ ​price.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​even​ ​learn​ ​cultures​ ​of​ ​non-English​ ​speaking​ ​countries.​ ​For example,​ ​I​ ​traveled​ ​to​ ​Denmark,​ ​where​ ​most​ ​of​ ​their​ ​language​ ​is​ ​Danish.​ ​Sure,​ ​we​ ​had​ ​to​ ​use Google​ ​translate,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​was​ ​incredible​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​about​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​other​ ​culture​ ​and​ ​environment. Though​ ​you​ ​might​ ​be​ ​far​ ​from​ ​the​ ​ones​ ​you​ ​love,​ ​technology​ ​is​ ​advancing​ ​so​ ​much:​ ​you​ ​have Facebook,​ ​WhatsApp,​ ​Skype​ ​and​ ​endless​ ​other​ ​apps​ ​that​ ​will​ ​let​ ​you​ ​video​ ​chat​ ​or​ ​text​ ​family and​ ​friends.​ ​Take​ ​this​ ​opportunity,​ ​because​ ​there’s​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​chance​ ​you​ ​won’t​ ​get​ ​to​ ​do something​ ​as​ ​incredible​ ​as​ ​this​ ​again.