Tennessee, USA to Chester, UK: The Road So Far

Before the summer started, I went into a panic.

My mind realized I would be graduating from East Tennessee State University in exactly two years. This much was fine. However, my thoughts quickly spiraled out of control. I’d have to get a dead-end job nearby. I’d be there for years. I’d marry an accountant and we would buy a house we couldn’t afford in a town we didn’t want to live in. Would we have children?

Like most 20-somethings going through a crisis, I started planning expensive trips to countries that only looked impressive through Instagram likes. Of course, I couldn’t afford to eat strawberries on the beaches of Guam or ride bikes through the cobblestone streets of Italy. And I think deep down, I wanted something more than that.

With a quick Google search for “ETSU study abroad” and a phone call, I had an appointment to be at Yoakley Hall at 1:30. I arrived far too early but was ushered into an office anyway. I took the seat offered to me and wondered if my sweat was from the 90 degree weather or nerves.

I should have been prepared for the first question she asked me, but I hadn’t made it that far in my plans yet. I let her words linger in the air while I tried to come up with an answer to “so where do you want to go?”

I glanced out the window to the campus beyond. I had hated this place a year ago. Biology and chemistry lied to me, telling me I wasn’t capable of studying at a collegiate level. Then, I took British literature with a professor who pulled me into his office and told me I was on the wrong path. I changed to a double major in English and marketing and started getting awards for my writing and praise from my professors. Now, half of my wardrobe is blue and gold.

When I was asked where I wanted to study, I took this into consideration. I needed somewhere that would support my interests and degree. “Uh, I think I want to go to the UK.” Her face fell a bit and I feared I chose the wrong answer.

“Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get England. Everyone wants to go to England but few do. Just make sure to list plenty of second choices, okay?” She put together a folder of paperwork for me to look over and gave me her best wishes.

That summer, I spent a considerable amount of time and money on the applications required for both ETSU and ISEP, the organization recommended to me due to its affiliation with ETSU. After weeks of research, I listed eleven universities in various countries that suited my needs. In mid-July, I hit submit. ETSU almost immediately accepted my application, so all that was left was to wait for a response and placement from ISEP.

I waited.

And then I waited.

And waited.

As you can imagine, when my phone lit up “ISEP: NOTIFICATION OF PLACEMENT” during Quantitative Methods of Business II sometime in late September, I found I could not concentrate on the fundamentals of hypothesis testing any longer. I opened my email and read the words “University of Chester: Chester, UK.”

Chester, UK is approximately three and a half hours from London, 53 minutes from Manchester and where I will be calling home for the next six months. The city is surrounded by ancient Roman walls and historic architecture, but within is a university of around 15,000 students who I will join in studying topics such as Shakespeare and 19th century literature.

“Do you really want to go?” my mom asked.

I laughed. “Yes, of course.”

“Why?

I didn’t know how to answer. “Because I’ve already spent $400 on the applications.”

Today, on December 9th, I am 25 days away from boarding a plane for the most ambitions six months of my life, and I still don’t know how to answer my mom’s question. The most convincing reason I can think of is that I wanted something different. It’s so easy to get caught in the current of life, and leaving for another county is my way of directing the boat for now.

If you have questions about starting your study abroad journey, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me through any of my social media!