So, remember post #73: Look into doing a semester abroad in England? Well, I did more than that. I’m going to England! Not quite for a semester, but for a month this summer with a faculty-led study abroad Art in London trip. I’ll be studying British Culture and touring lots of museums and galleries during that month. As well as a few weekend trips to Scotland, and around the UK.

Then, in addition to that, I’ll be staying an extra two weeks afterwards and backpacking Europe! I’ve already bought a new backpack, a High Sierra Transport.

My destinations will include Paris, southern France, Milan, Frankfurt, and I’ll be heading home in August out of Amsterdam. For those two weeks, I will be traveling by rail, staying in hostels, and living out of this 70L backpack. I’m excited, and nervous, but mostly excited. I’ve been doing lots of reading on travel sites about backpacking, and what to do in cities, and how to get around. It’ll be such a great life experience to have.

This is my first time outside of North America, so why not jump in with both feet and travel a bit out of your comfort zone? Since this is my first time, I would like to ask any readers, have you toured Europe? What was your experience? And do you have any tips?

Lately I’ve been looking at my university’s study abroad program, looking at my possibilities of traveling to England for a time. It’s looking very likely for summer 2010. With the requirements I have to fulfill for my university, I have to take a liberal arts “theme” course. If you’re doing your theme at the university, there are I think fifteen themes to choose from, and you have to pick from three of the 5-12 given courses you are allowed to take within that to fulfill it. (You following? Yeah, it is confusing.) Although, if you choose to study abroad, you can create your own theme and complete it at your desired location!

So, of course I don’t like any of the fifteen themes provided here so I’ve made up my “perfect” theme for a summer study abroad in England; Creative Writing and British/European History. My class options include, Creative Writing, Poetry, Shakespearian Literature, and European History from 1848-1914. I might add a Philosophy course or another history course as options, but in the end I will choose/be assigned three courses to take.

I’m excited for this opportunity, but it’s a little far off. Sometime next year, I’ll really look into it and start applying. But I’ve found out what information I needed now and this is the first thing completed on list of 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days. :) Yay me.

Kingston University