The Gift that EKU Gave Me

In January of 2015, EKU gave me a trip to London, England to study abroad. The experience lasted four weeks and included flight, room, and board; I can honestly say it was the trip of a lifetime.

I got to experience so many different things that I never would have been able to without this opportunity. I saw a number of museums, including the Imperial War Museum and the Hayward Gallery. I went onto the London Eye, which was sort of like a giant ferris wheel. The view was breathtaking and I was able to see all of London, including the parliament buildings and Big Ben. I also watched the changing of the guards in Buckingham Palace, which may not sound very thrilling but was actually an amazing sight to see.

One of the days, I decided to take a day trip to Paris. There, I saw the Eiffel Tower and the beautiful Mona Lisa at the Louvre, followed by a boat tour through the Thames. From now on, I really can’t believe I get to say, “I took a day trip to Paris,” just wow.

I also went on a tour to Stonehenge, Bath, and Salisbury. Bath was by far my favorite, “little, big city.” Historically, Bath had been a city that grew up around Roman bathhouses, hence the name. If I could relocate to any one place in the world, it would be Bath; it was that phenomenal. From there, I went on a Harry Potter Tour, which, for a geek like me to see the Harry Potter world in the place where J.K. Rowling actually wrote the books and where the movies were actually filmed, was incredible.

This whole experience has been one I will cherish for the rest of my life. Not just because of all the awesome things I did and saw, but also because I felt like I was part of a much larger world than I really knew existed. It is one thing to see pictures of London or Paris and be able to point to them on the map, but it’s a whole other thing to walk the street, shoulder-to-shoulder with other people from around the world. The many people I came into contact with during my trip were amazing and I learned a lot from each one of them. I will remember them always. Thank you EKU for this wonderful experience!

Amber Broughton, Class of 2015

Published on October 01, 2015