Dawg Days Abroad! Lexi Smith Ambassador
Blog Post from a Freshman Humanities scholar
Hello! My name is Lexi and I can’t wait to begin my time as a Study Abroad Ambassador in the UK! I am an 18-year-old incoming freshman at UMBC who has been dreaming of a life full of travel since middle school. Though I’ve left the U.S. once before, this will be my first time visiting Europe. I’m excited to learn more about the world around me while on this trip, as well as political science, as I will be taking POLI260 at the University of Bristol over the course of these next few weeks.
At UMBC, I am planning on double-majoring in history and economics. History has been an interest of mine since I was in elementary school (I’ll probably cry when I see the Magna Carta, if we’re keeping it real). Economic systems and markets are newer fascinations of mine, but I am excited to learn about both! When I’m not reading dusty primary sources or scrolling through CNN, you can typically find me dancing at my studio, performing onstage, pulling lines with a calligraphy pen, taking photos, or goofing off with my friends at youth group.
British history was one of the first subjects I fell in love with, so I feel as though I’m coming into this program with a decent amount of knowledge about my host country, but I know that my knowledge base is a drop in the ocean compared to all that Bristol and London have to offer. I am eager to learn more, especially as the UK enters into a period of change due to Brexit and the recent election of a new Prime Minister. During this trip, I hope to gain more experience with international travel, a new perspective through meeting those who are different from me, and more knowledge about the world around me. I am most excited to visit the historical sites on our itinerary, especially Caerphilly Castle. As silly as it sounds, I’m most nervous about forgetting something important on the trip! Despite my love for planners and lists, I am naturally quite absent-minded and awful at remembering to bring everything I need when I travel. Fortunately, I just returned from a mission trip to Rhode Island, so the majority of my suitcase is still packed.
I can’t wait to learn, grow, and experience a new place for the next two weeks! The next time I reach out, it will be from the wonderful city of Bristol. Until then, I must extend my farewell. Check back in again soon for a new update or two!
Posted: July 30, 2019, 9:07 AM
