By Hunter Epperson ~ Copy Desk Chief
Prior to college, I was a seasoned traveler. In fact, I have had the opportunity to go to South America, Mexico, Europe, almost all of the Caribbean, and ten out of the fifty states before going to college.
Almost every winter, my family and I would plan some sort of vacation. Hence, traveling the world has been a tradition within my family. In fact, my cousin had the opportunity to live in Bermuda, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, and Scotland (once for graduate school, and once for study abroad) twice. Hearing her stories and experiences motivated me to study abroad while in college, and I looked into study abroad opportunities when choosing a college.
Sadly, I did not have the opportunity to live abroad for a whole semester like her at University of Saint Andrews, but I had the opportunity to travel to India for three weeks with Dr. Steve Dawson, Ellen Thompson, and fellow students from our school. I do not regret it!
Studying abroad for three weeks in a unique place like India has by far been one of my favorite college experiences.
While in India, I was able to emerge in their culture which includes the following: eating delicious foods like chai, learning about Hinduism, riding a boat down the Ganges, seeing an elephant on a safari, seeing beautiful handcrafted textiles, and riding in a rickshaw!
While on the trip, we had the opportunity to see monkeys, visit beautiful Hindu temples, practice traditional yoga, and take a hike in the Himalayas.
For my study abroad trip, we visited New Delhi, Vrindavan Agra, Dehradun, and Rishikesh.
So long story short, going on a study abroad trip is a once in a lifetime experience. You get to experience seeing and learning about the world while experiencing it, and the world is your classroom.
Not to mention, going on a study abroad trip through the university is affordable, as all trips include lodging, food, luggage, and other fees. Also, you gain academic credit while on the trip, and scholarships are available!
Overall, I recommend everyone to go on at least one study abroad trip while in college. As stated before, going abroad was one of my favorite college experiences and I do not regret it all.
Visit https://www.lynchburg.edu/academics/center-for-global-education/study-abroad/ to find out more about study abroad opportunities and information.
Key words: India, Study Abroad, Travel, University of Lynchburg, Winter, Monkey, Asia, Global Education, Taj Mahal, Boats
