Hello everyone! My name is Evan Carter and I\u2019m studying English with a minor in Spanish here at UMaine. I studied English literature and creative writing at the University of East Anglia (UEA) through UMaine\u2019s Direct Exchange program. For the 23\u2019-24\u2019 academic year in England, I was encouraged to flourish as a writer while experiencing landscapes and cultures that I\u2019d only since been able to access through movies.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the moment I became a student at UMaine, I knew I wanted to complete an education abroad. There were many decisions that I made three years prior to my program that allowed me academic freedom while abroad. Yet, I was unprepared to choose a program for myself when I finally arrived at UMaine for my sophomore year. Originally, I was fine with anything. I had never been abroad before, I hadn\u2019t even left the country, so I felt that I didn\u2019t have the faculties to make the decision for myself. However, I\u2019m glad that I chose to attend UEA. It had everything that I wanted from a program: beautiful scenery, an amazing supportive environment, access to traveling within England and throughout Europe, and the ability to make meaningful day trips from where I was studying.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end, I want to share stories about what it means to travel with groups of people when your budget might look different from theirs, what it means to make budget-conscious decisions when traveling, and what it means to study abroad and access their resources (with the understanding that information in any capacity is information that can be applied to life back in the states). I\u2019m glad that I took advantage of some of the resources that were available to me, but there\u2019s a lot of kindness that I had to extend to myself that I wasn\u2019t prepared for. The idea of traveling abroad is scary, and actually being there for a year alone is even scarier, but there is value in pushing yourself to learn from trial and error. And, when you\u2019re living alone for the first time there\u2019s a lot of kindness to be had over mistakes. I want to be real with my stories, and I want to provide some stories that will hopefully comfort others in the event that they might experience something similar to what I did.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The experience of traveling abroad is a rollercoaster. One that shows you everything that the world has to offer. One that challenges you. One that teaches you about the rules and laws of a different culture. But, it\u2019s one that is exceptionally important to have, both in being fundamentally invaluable and building your confidence, in deciding what your future will look like.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Evan Carter (Norwich, England) English Major<\/p>\n\n\n