Student Bloggers

Editor's note: If you are struggling with depression or anxiety, please reach out for help. In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you are on an Arcadia program abroad, contact an Arcadia staff member to be connected with professional mental health support, available at all of Arcadia sites abroad.

Scotland; the home of wet weather, limited sun, thick accents, and of course… Haggis. Landing in Edinburgh I was nervous to enter a whole new realm, but I was also excited for the upcoming experience that would shape me into a better artist, student, and professional. Edinburgh was nice… sort of. The homeless population is really large there, the city is a bit small, and the night life is somewhat limited. But I must say the architecture and the spirit of Old City reminded me a lot of Philadelphia, except with less trash, more castles, and the sounds of bagpipes filling the air. We visited art galleries, I met a few girls that were also going to the Glasgow School of Art, and it started to feel like the experience that everyone was telling me about.

After a few days of orientation and hearing the same things over and over again I was off to live with my homestay family for four days. On the bus I realized I forgot my favorite pillow at the hotel, and the stress and anxieties unleashed at that moment. I knew I was going to get my pillow back, but the thought of another challenge on top of all the things I was already adjusting to seemed like the end of the world. When the two GSA girls and I arrived at our homestay we were greeted by a pretty exuberant woman, named Kimberly. After a short ride to her home in Stirling, we were also greeted by her two daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. Oh yeah.. and eight dogs! While we were all expecting four huskies, which was what was written on our homestay information, we were additionally welcomed by a tiny Chihuahua, a Rottweiler, a Pomeranian, and a small Pug. Needless to say, with eight dogs and a seventeen-month-old baby running around the house was pretty hectic. The next coming days in Stirling we explored the Wallace National Monument, and we saw the ever-so-beautiful Stirling Castle. There was something really comforting about being with a family to cook you meals, and tell you stories, but around the end of our stay I started to feel really ill, and a bit depressed. I think integrating ourselves for almost a week into an unknown family can take a toll on you, especially if you are close with your own family and miss them easily.

We arrived in Glasgow on a wet and windy Saturday morning, and by this time I legitimately thought I wasn’t going to make it. My throat was swollen, I could barely swallow, and so a hospital visit and a call to the National Health Services line was first on the agenda for me. It is now six days later and while I believe the infection is gone, I’m scheduled for another visit to the doctor with a wicked cough. Over the past week in Glasgow my newly found friends and I have visited night clubs and pubs, toured our school and our studio spaces, and while I’m still adjusting to the weather and trying to get healthy I can say I’m truly excited to get started. I work with my hands all day long, drawing and making three dimensional models. GSA has an outstanding number of professional faculty, as well as state of the art facilities such as the wood shop, and selective studio spaces, that I just can’t wait to get my hands on. It is an adjustment period, acclimating to the various changes that a different country proposes but it’s all part of the experience of going abroad.

Two weeks down, three months to go.