Tag Archives: travel

Top 5 moments my study abroad year made me a stronger person

26 Oct
There are times in life that push you beyond your comfort zone. Those are moments that cross a line you’ve never stepped over before, the ones that break new and unfamiliar ground. While at the time you might feel overwhelmed, confused or that you’ll never see the light at the end of the tunnel, eventually you’ll cross the Rubicon and look over your shoulder at all the hurdles you’ve overcome. DSC02884

It’s those defining moments in life that have made me a richer, stronger and more accomplished individual and I’ve never gone through more of them than during my study abroad year in South Carolina.

Here are the top five moments that my study abroad year made me a stronger person:

Day one: saying goodbye

Saying goodbye to my boyfriend, my family and my friends before I departed for South Carolina was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Not only was I nervous about the prospect of flying to the USA alone and having to make a completely new life for myself, but I was terrified by the possibility that my trans-Atlantic absence would cause my cherished relationships to grow apart. 

If that momentous plunge into the unknown wasn’t enough to make my knees buckle at the airport, arriving in Columbia without any of my suitcases added an unwelcome logistical nightmare to my long-haul emotional exhaustion.

Battling against the worst case of the flu I’ve ever had

Two days before my new friends and I were set to depart for a weekend trip to Asheville, North Carolina, I woke up with a debilitating case of the flu. It turned out to be the worst case I’ve ever had to date—my body ached, my eyes were stinging, my head was searing and then ice cold and I was waking up shuddering and covered in sweat in the middle of the night.

The only time I left the flat was to traipse through South Carolina’s first batch of snowfall in decades to visit the doctors. When I got there, I had to stick a swab up my nostrils and pay $50 for Tamiflu, which turned out to make me vomit. Needless to say, I never made it to Asheville.

Post-Christmas homesickness

While I didn’t experience much homesickness during my first semester, when I returned to South Carolina after a brief Christmas in England, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was looking at my American surroundings with a British cultural appetite, just wishing I could curl up in a pub drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies with my loved ones at home.

No matter how incredible South Carolina was, I was still yearning for British home comforts and familiarity.

Contracting gastroenteritis in the Arizona desert

At the end of my study abroad year I decided to take a group tour through California, Arizona and Nevada with a group of 12 people I’d never met. By day three I contracted gastroenteritis, a common bug that causes the stomach and intestines to become inflamed. Anyone who has battled through it will have spent at least 24 hours projectile vomiting and running to the bathroom to cope with severe diarrhoea. DSC02787

Lucky for me, I contracted the notorious bug in the middle of a six-hour drive through the Arizona desert. No gas stations, no bathrooms, just a single road ahead surrounded by distant mountains and dust devils dancing along the horizon. We spent the afternoon stopping and starting the minivan as I launched myself out of the door to vomit on yet another helpless Joshua tree.

Having my laptop stolen in LA

When I returned to LA on the last day of my trip around the West Coast, raring to Skype home and tell my family and friends about all of my trekking tales, I came back to our hotel to discover that my laptop had been stolen.

While my new friends spent their last evening together exploring Hollywood and indulging in all-American food at the Hard Rock Café, I spent my night getting crime reference numbers at the LAPD station and calling home to try and find my laptop receipt.
While looking back down the road can be a painful trip down memory lane, revisiting these moments fills me with an immense sense of pride and gratitude. If it weren’t for my year in the States, I wouldn’t have learned that, despite everything, I have the inner strength and resolve to carry on when life gets tough.

These are the defining moments I talk about in job interviews. When an employer says “tell me about a time in your life when you had to use initiative,” I now have a bank of memories and experiences to draw from to demonstrate my energy, resilience and independence.

Above all else—isn’t that what studying abroad is all about?IMG-20140814-WA0021

This article has also been published by The News Hub and Verge Magazine

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Dispelling the myths of solo travel: the Trek America trip that changed my life

29 Aug

I’d been living in South Carolina on my study abroad exchange year and was about to leave the East coast for the first time. I’d decided to end my year abroad in the familiar South with a Trek America trip exploring the West coast, and the time had finally come to start making preparations for my Western adventure. 

It was time to swap the life I'd made for myself in South Carolina for a plunge into the unknown...

It was time to swap the life I’d made for myself in South Carolina for a plunge into the unknown…

In the final days before I set off for California, Arizona and Nevada, I went into over-drive. I bought mini scissors, nail files and plasters. Antiseptic liquid, Savlon and a giant tub of painkillers. Not to mention travel-sickness pills, hay-fever tablets, Gaviscon, Dioralyte and Bongela. I bought snap hooks and bungee cords for my bag, a highly-necessary camping seat and almost every travel-sized item on sale at my local pharmacy.

I thought that stocking up for the travel apocalypse would prepare me for anything. Downsizing one thing and compartmentalising another was all part of managing the anxieties I had about travelling around the West Coast with a group of people I’d never met. 

On the first morning of the trip we gathered at 7am in our hotel lobby and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the overwhelming majority of the group had also booked the trip alone. I was about to start exploring Western America with a group of like-minded Brits, Danes, Swedes, Austrians and Koreans who wanted to see the world and learn about other cultures just as much as I did. 

We spent our first day riding bikes around San Diego

We spent our first day riding bikes around San Diego

Our first road trip from LA to San Diego was spent having enthusiastic and curious chats with each other about our respective home countries. By the time we arrived at Mission Beach, I’d learned about the trials of being a woman in the Danish military, what it’s like to slaughter a chicken for dinner in Kenya, the experience of being an Austrian au pair in Washington DC and how to say ‘Hello, my name is Eveie’ in Korean. The minivan was brimming with interesting conversation and stories from all over the world that made me buzz with anticipation for the two weeks ahead. 

#roadtripselfie

#roadtripselfie

The group only grew closer with every new experience we shared. By day two we were sharing supplies, by day three we all had nicknames for each other, by day six we were having singing sessions in the mini-van and by day eight we’d had our first hilariously blurry night out together in Vegas. Any cultural differences that set us apart were quickly overcome by the wealth of new experiences that we were discovering together each day.

It’s safe to say that when you cook, eat, sleep and travel with a group of people you’ve just met, you don’t remain strangers to each other for very long. It was a good job, too, because while we were road-tripping through the Arizona desert, I caught a vicious stomach bug that none of the medication I’d brought with me could have cured. 

6 hours of road, a plastic bag, and a bad case of gastroenteritis make for a toxic mix

6 hours of road, a plastic bag, and a bad case of gastroenteritis make for a toxic mix

After an entire afternoon launching myself out of the minibus to vomit on yet another helpless Joshua Tree, we arrived in Lake Havasu, Arizona. The sun was setting over the stunning lake and casting an orange glow around the campsite. Weak, exhausted, and pretty delirious, I got out the van and curled up in a ball on the grass. 

Eating that last fateful turkey sandwich with the group, before it all went downhill...

Eating that last fateful turkey sandwich with the group, before it all went downhill…

When I opened my eyes the group had put my sleeping bag over me, brought me a bottle of water and set up my tent. They’d set aside some food in case I got hungry and dug out the paracetamol from the bottom of my rucksack. I’d started to worry that they’d never come near me again after being sick in such a confined space all afternoon, but the gang went out of their way to put me at ease and look out for me when I found myself seriously ill so far away from home. 

I’m not sharing my run-in with gastroenteritis as a cautionary tale. Anyone can catch a stomach bug whether they’re at home, on the road, travelling alone or travelling with friends. I’m sharing my nauseating story because it’s a great example of the unspoken understanding that occurs between solo travellers. It’s a kind of team spirit and a commonality that says, ‘We’re all in this together.’

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Playing beer bowling at the campsite in Yosemite National Park

By the end of the trip, we’d become so comfortable in each others’ company that my initial pre-departure anxieties seemed like a million miles away. We’d carried each others’ rucksacks when we got tired, we never moaned about camp duties and we’d created a new Facebook group to keep in touch before we said some painful goodbyes.  

Riding in the Party Bus in Vegas

Riding in the Party Bus in Vegas

American philosopher John Dewey once said, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” It wasn’t until I returned home from my Trek America tour and began to reflect on my travels that I realised just how much the experience had changed me. 

On returning home I started to notice that my social habits had changed. Having learned new things about each of my Trekmates every day of the trip, I’ve come to realise that every person has a unique story sitting below the surface. I’ve become a more inquisitive conversationalist (and journalist) who loves meeting new people and learning about a different life perspective.

Cuddles with Penn & Teller

Cuddles with Penn & Teller

Spending 11 nights camping in American deserts and national parks has also made me less fussy. I’ve become less preoccupied with all the little, insignificant things like what to wear, whether to wear make-up and how many calories are in my food, and more bothered about the bigger things in life, like keeping in touch with old friends, making time for people and keeping my phone tucked away in my handbag when I go to dinner. It’s safe to say that being accepted by a group of people after I’d thrown up in front of them, multiple times, in the middle of the Arizona desert, gave me a kind of inner confidence to know that despite everything, I must be kind of okay… 

The best view I've ever seen in my life, in Yosemite

Enjoying the best view I’ve ever seen in my life, in Yosemite

Finally, being on a Trek tour has brought out a get-up-and-go approach to life that I never knew I had. Having travelled through three states in two weeks with 13 new people, I’ve realised that the best experiences in life are the ones that test you, challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone. I thought I’d be returning home yearning for familiar home comforts- but the Westerner 2 tour has left me feeling open to change and longing for yet more new experiences.

Travelling around some of America’s most renowned tourist destinations- the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National park and Las Vegas to name a few- is a huge excursion in itself. Committing to that trip with a bunch of strangers I’d never met felt even bigger. When it turned out to be straightforward, uncomplicated, safe, secure and of course, the trip of a lifetime, I was overjoyed. But I was utterly ecstatic that I’d departed for the West Coast expecting to gain new life experiences, and ended up gaining 13 hilarious, fun, and interesting new friends along the way. 

I arrived home after a year in America feeling accomplished and confident, with a million stories to tell

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10 lifestyle habits I’ve picked up while studying abroad in the US

18 Jul

This blog has also been featured on The Guardian’s Blogging Students website, and can be found here: http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2014/jul/17/10-american-habits-studying-abroad-students

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My blog on The Guardian website

As university friends studying business, finance and law started gaining seriously impressive internships and ‘year in industry’ placements in September 2012, I decided that, as an English and History student, there had to be some way to boost my CV and become more employable.

I shopped around, scanning the university website for opportunities to fit the bill. Four months later I’d completed my application to study abroad in the states, and it turned out to be the best decision of my life.

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A dozen chicken wings, listed on the menu as a ‘starter’

So for the past year I’ve abandoned my familiar Leeds student lifestyle for an exchange year at the University of South Carolina. I swapped nightclubs for frat parties, my small student house for American dorms, Yorkshire Tea for sweet tea, fish and chips for Southern fried chicken and afternoons at the pub for afternoons on a sun lounger at the outdoor pool.

Many of my study abroad friends who ventured to foreign language countries were sceptical about the degree to which social customs would be different in America. But from the moment I touched down in Columbia, South Carolina, I knew I had an eye-opening adventure ahead of me.

Here are ten lifestyle habits that I’ve picked up since being on exchange in the Appalachian South:

Tipping

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Eating out with friends in San Francisco’s Little Italy

In the US, service staff members earn their keep largely through tips, so visiting a restaurant or bar without leaving a tip is considered hugely disrespectful. Thanks to this American social custom, I’ve returned to the UK much more willing to give away those extra few pounds at the end of my meal.

Using weekends to travel

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Rockclimbing in Alabama

With America’s endless travelling opportunities just waiting to be explored, I used the weekdays to study hard, and the weekends to pack my bags and tick some more states off my to-see list.

Being OK with driving insanely long hours

When I did pack my bags for the weekend, I had to mentally prepare myself for the long car journey ahead. As Americans don’t have the same level of public transport resources as British students do, they’re much more accustomed to driving long hours across the interstate to get to where they want to be.

Planning my social life around sports games

Watching Clowney and the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice stadium

If ever I didn’t travel at the weekend, I’d be watching live sports. The university football team played in a stadium just short of Wembley’s capacity, and with free tickets for students, the weekly dose of American football was considered an unmissable social event.

Choosing comfort over style

A classic day-to-day choice

The go-to daily attire in the intense South Carolinian heat and humidity was a nonchalant Nike Shorts (‘Norts’) and baggy t-shirt combination. It was also immediately apparent that checked shirts (or ‘flannel shirts’) are readily accepted at any social occasion. If in doubt, flannel out.

Embracing team spirit

Cuddles with Cocky

When I first arrived in the US I felt a typical British reluctance towards American patriotism and team spirit. By the end of my year I’d become swept away in the fun, sporting team colours to classes and queuing for photos with the university mascot.

Expressing happiness with the word ‘blessed’

Perhaps it was because I studied in the Bible belt, or because Americans embrace upbeatisms more readily than we Brits do, but I heard locals express happiness with the word ‘blessed’ on a daily basis. I even saw a car license plate that read ‘Bless3d’. Since returning to England I’ve caught myself using the word on several occasions.

Solving any remotely difficult situation by grabbing frozen yoghurt

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Fro-yo

Forget grabbing a coffee or putting the kettle on as ways to unwind at the end of the day. The nearest frozen yoghurt café was a regular haunt for students looking for a midweek treat.

Speaking up in lectures

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English classes at USC

As class participation often counts for large percentages of final grades in American institutions, over the past year I’ve become a lot more vocal about my thoughts during classes. I’m looking forward to seeing how my renewed, Americanised verbal skills will fit back in to British lectures and seminars in my final year.

Going with the flow

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Halfway through the 8-hour Bright Angel Trail, grand Canyon, AZ

This probably says more about the overall experience of being an international exchange student rather than American social customs, but since studying abroad in America I’ve become a pro at going with the flow. The study abroad experience can be pretty unpredictable at times, so rather than worrying about trying to have a plan for everything, my new favourite phrase is ‘Let’s play it by ear’.

Tags: , , British, , Cocky, driving, , , , , , , study abroad, tipping, ,

What American freedom means to me

4 Jul

American freedom symbolises different things for different people. While the core principles of American Independence date back to 4th July 1776, people all over the world will have a different story to tell about what it means to be in the land of the free. As a British exchange student who spent my last year in South Carolina, I look back on my time abroad as one of the most carefree and joyful years of my life. As I sit in my computer chair sipping a cup of tea (pardon the positively dreadful stereotype) I reflect upon all the times I took American freedom for granted. In the red, white and blue spirit of Independence Day, here’s a Brits-eye view of what American freedom means to me.

American freedom makes dreams come true.

It’s dreaming about what it meant To Have A Dream. 10302743_10154160259315113_6254105797152374764_n

It’s dreaming about what the New York skyline looks like from 86 floors high.  1426487_10153485359020113_1408073646_n

It’s dreaming that you’re Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party picketing the White House for female suffrage. 1948214_10153963266205113_1941954637_n

It’s dreaming about what frat parties are really like. 1239815_10151927984546057_2122052212_n

It’s dreaming about the golden California coastline. 10382343_763896896965997_4746107802069694660_o

It’s dreaming about the greats from past and present. 10409757_10152120564822051_8781440310444325198_n

American freedom creates opportunity.

It’s learning how to rock-climb in Alabama. 1236936_10153741684220113_1446741469_n

It’s waking up in the morning and seeing your columns in the newspaper.viewpointsheader

It’s setting up a volleyball team with a group of internationals. 

It’s giving presentations about England in an American middle school.999819_743861552311694_607540598_n

It’s becoming South Carolina’s best student columnist 2013. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 19.57.23

American freedom is variation.

It’s travelling through four states in 2 weeks. 10451170_10154288235710113_7210974914393426782_n

It’s having friends from all over the world, from all walks of life. 1275589_10153252282535313_266095435_o

It’s being friends with people who are nothing like you. 10464346_10152120568557051_5369498333485261182_n

It’s meeting a new person every day. 1396063_10153443813405113_1209170342_n-2

It’s learning that doing things a little differently is okay. 

American freedom is team spirit.

It’s a cheerleading squad seeing it through to the end. 

It’s stars and stripes on every corner. 10403494_10154288234910113_622862200614300605_n

It’s 80,000 people rooting for the same team. 

It’s a marching band 340 musicians strong. 1184972_10153197588895113_813629457_n

It’s standing on your feet for 4 hours straight. 

American freedom is hospitality.

It’s going to seminars at your tutor’s house.10245344_10154102100580113_5314905462739688092_n

It’s going to an American home for Thanksgiving. 

It’s staying with American friends for a week.1526144_10154171467375113_3136757778159249347_n

It’s feeling at home in every state. 10276974_10154160240240113_5798112630718242246_n

It’s being accepted for who I am. 

Tags: 1776, 4th July, , blog, celebration, Declaration of Independence, democracy, dream, Elvis Presley, England, , freedom, , Independence Day, , Martin Luther King, , states, , study abroad,

What is it really like to travel with Trek America?

3 Jul

This post has also been published on Trek America’s website, which can be found here: http://www.trekamerica.co.uk/blog/tales-from-a-trekker/

When I booked my Trek America adventure holiday to the West coast in January, it was hard to fully embrace my intrepid nomad spirit without thinking about the multiple warnings my Mum has issued over the years. “Be careful as a single female”, “Hold your handbag close to your body” and “Don’t share taxi rides with strangers” were a few of the messages swirling around in my head as I hovered the cursor over the ‘book’ button.

What if I was the only female on the trip? What if everyone else goes camping all the time? Is it okay to book the trip alone? Travelling with an adventure company can make or break a holiday. It means you get to meet new people while seeing the world, but you can’t rest assured that group dynamics will be as relaxed and familiar as when travelling with friends.

I clicked down on the mouse-pad hard and fast through squinted eyes, like ripping off a plaster. Done. Starting on May 18th, I would be travelling through California, Arizona and Nevada with a group of people I’d never met. DSC02787

When we met each other for the first time at 7am in our LA hotel lobby, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the overwhelming majority of the group had also booked the trip alone. I had the privilege of exploring the West coast with a group of like-minded Brits, Danes, Swedes, Austrians and Koreans who wanted to see the world and learn about other cultures just as much as I did.

Our first road trip from LA to San Diego was spent having enthusiastic and curious chats with each other about our respective home countries. By the time we arrived at Mission Beach, I’d learned about the trials of being a woman in the Danish military, how hard it is to set up your own furniture business, what it’s like to slaughter a chicken for dinner in Kenya, the experience of being an Austrian au pair in Washington DC and how to say ‘Hello, my name is Eveie’ in Korean. The minivan was brimming with interesting conversation and stories from all over the world that made me buzz with anticipation for the two weeks ahead.

As for my concerns about my portfolio of limited camping skills, my worries were soon put to rest when we arrived at the campsite. Our Trek leader gave us quick and easy to understand tutorials for everything- how to set up our tents, how to load and unload the trailer safely and how to work the gas stove. On the first night we were split into three groups, A, B and C, which rotated taking on cooking and cleaning duties each night at camp. Nobody complained about camping life, everybody contributed to the group as equals and with 12 of us on task, everything was cleared away quickly with plenty of time to hit the road.DSC02981

When you cook, eat, sleep and travel with a group of people you’ve just met, you don’t remain strangers for very long. By day two we were sharing supplies, by day three we all had nicknames for each other, by day six we were having singing sessions in the mini-van, by day eight we’d had our first hilariously blurry night out in Vegas together and by the end of the trip we found ourselves seeing how long we could draw out the conversation before we had to say some painful goodbyes. DSC02982

As most of us were lone travellers, we all grouped together and looked out for each other. From lending each other money, to carrying each other’s backpacks when the hiking was hard, to rooting through our bags for the last paracetamol tablet. My initial concerns about safety, security and comfort were washed away like the frothy waves of the golden California coast.

So if you’re a potential Trek America customer looking to book a trip, rest assured that concerns about group dynamics and group safety are unlikely to impinge upon the unbelievable sights and experiences you’ll have abroad. Chances are, the rest of the group you’re yet to meet are sat at their computers wondering about the same preliminary questions as you are. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have so much fun on your trip that you’ll return home and be back on the Trek America website as soon as possible to start planning your next adventure. DSC02902

 

 

 

 

Tags: , , blog, British, , , cooking, Danish, Europe, Korean, , Swedish, , tour, , travel writing, , usa, West coast, Westerner 2

Tales from a Western adventure

24 Jun

I’ve recently returned from the Westerner 2 Trek America trip with the intention of writing about my travels. The problem is, I’ve come home with an entire journal full of urgent, inspired scribblings and over 500 photos, videos and of course, selfies to reflect upon. It’s safe to say that the diverse variation of things I’ve seen and done in the last month has left me wondering where to start. I’ve visited some of the nation’s most breath-taking national parks and explored some of the most cosmopolitan cities by day and by night (how lucky am I?!)- so how could I possibly know where to begin? Image

But that’s the beauty of the Westerner 2. Variety. The tour is a perfect combination of city sights and natural delights. Covering top destinations in California, Arizona and Nevada, I left the trip feeling as though I’d truly seen the best of the West.

I stood at the top of giant waterfalls in Yosemite, and looked down at the rainbows below us. I hiked the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon and I walked along the Golden Gate Bridge. I even caught some waves at a surfing lesson in San Diego. Image

Not only did I get around by surfboard, I rented a bike, caught the San Fran tram, and saw the early evening cityscape by cruise. Not to mention the good old minivan- the place where, in time, the group got to know each other, slept, ate, played Uno, and saw some of the most outrageous, quintessentially American sights we’d ever see while road-tripping through the Arizona desert. In travelling with a hilarious, adventurous and interesting group of people from the UK, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Korea and of course, America, the time spent on the road was never dull. Image

On day six, the birds woke me just in time for sunrise after sleeping in the depths of the Grand Canyon National Park. I’d been on the trip for almost a week and had really come to love the cosy, natural atmosphere of camping. As the light poured over the horizon and I looked across the gaping valley that surrounded me, I thought, “Will I really be in Vegas tomorrow?!” Image

That night, as we nursed our hiking-weary feet and reminisced over the mind-blowing sights of the day, we saw the stars. The brightest dots shining against a coal-black blanket. Little did I know that in a few days, I’d be seeing them again from the rock bed of some natural hot springs in Bishop, California. I even met some stars of a different kind in Sin City. When in Vegas… Image

All that sightseeing sure did work up an appetite. No wonder, then, that during my time on the trip I devoured a helping of a dozen honey-coated chicken wings, all-American pancakes for breakfast, shrimp tacos in LA’s Grand Central Market, local seafood from San Francisco’s Pier 39, and enough s’mores to make sure this Brit abroad will never utter the words, ‘What’s a Graham cracker?’ again. Image

As I return home to the UK, I find myself stealing pockets of time to indulge in daydreams about the events of those two weeks. The Westerner 2 has spoiled me. No history book will show me the past like standing in the isolation cells at Alcatraz did. No shower will ever compare to being soaked through by the mist of Yosemite falls. No car journey will ever match up to the limo ride through the bright streets of Vegas. Image

Nobody does itineraries like Trek America. If you’re considering booking a trip, keep in mind that the Westerner 2 should come with a warning: it will inspire an insatiable thirst for travelling that will stay with you long after you kick off your hiking boots.

For further information about the Westerner 2, follow this link: 
http://www.trekamerica.co.uk/tours/w2.html Image

Tags: , blog, booking, , , , , ideas, inspiration, Las Vegas, Monterey, , Penn and Teller, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, , , , trip, Westerner 2,

Top ten things international students must see and do at the University of South Carolina

20 Jun

Having recently returned from my year abroad at the University of South Carolina, I’ve been reflecting upon all the things that made it such a mind-blowing year. There are ten particular things I’m so grateful I did while I was in SC, and they are the experiences that are unique to South Carolina, to Columbia, and to having the unimaginable privilege of being a student at USC. Without further introduction…let’s go cocks. 1391996_10153385843110113_499614180_n

10) Scarowinds

When Halloween came around in October, I was pretty psyched for an all-American scare-fest. I assumed that I’d probably end up going to a stereotypical house party in a half-impressive fancy dress costume, just like the movies. Instead, I ventured out to ‘Carowinds’, the gargantuan amusement park on the border between North and South Carolina. Every Halloween, the park gets radically transformed into ‘Scarowinds’, complete with bone-chilling haunted houses and zombies crawling all over the grounds. It was the perfect way to get out of Columbia and do something different for Halloween while embracing the all-American passion for the 31st.

9) Go to a party in a pick-up truck

Unlike England, where pick-up trucks are as common as a Clemson fan in Russell House, in SC you can ride in the back of a pick-up truck as long as you’re 15 years old. The first time I did, I giggled so much I may as well have been 15. The wind was rushing through my hair, the stars were out and I remember thinking- ‘How have I got here?’ Having such a crazy, outlandish and quintessentially Southern experience made me realise how distant the cultural norms of England were from my new Appalachian adventure. Image

8) See some live music at the Red Door Tavern

Red Door Tavern is cosy bar and live music venue just across the river, a short drive away from campus. Many upcoming singers, songwriters, rappers, comedians and musicians play at the venue that you can enjoy for a small cover charge. It’s the perfect way to let off steam in the evening and a great alternative to another night in Five Points, if you’re just not feeling up to those $5 fishbowls.

7) Thrift shopping

The Summer that I packed for my study abroad year was the summer that Macklemore’s ‘Thrift Shop’ was blasting on radio stations everywhere. After hearing all about the $1 bargains awaiting my beady eyes across the ocean, I arrived and was far from disappointed. There are 2-3 Goodwill stores in Columbia, as well as a number of ‘His House’ stores for those of you that are willing to undergo a more challenging- and rewarding- hunt for those vintage steals.Image

6) Go to the South Carolina State Fair

The South Carolina State Fair rocks up to the grounds outside Williams-Brice stadium for ten days every October. It hosts a feast of local delights, from fairground rides and stalls to zoo animals and deep-fried cookie dough. Just one month into your study abroad experience, it’s the ideal way to get your new group of friends together and do something different. ImageImage

5) Sorority bid day

Sorority bid day, colloquially known as ‘the running of the pigs’, is the ceremonious occasion whereby female students at USC find out if they’ve been accepted to their chosen sorority. As sorority life is mostly particular to the states, and larger than life itself in the South, the grandiose events of bid day are a must-see for exchange students freshly exposed to the phenomenon. Image

Image4) Visit a plantation

Coming to South Carolina without seeing an old slave plantation would be like going to Washington DC without seeing the Whitehouse. Plantation grounds are an enormous part of the state’s dark history of confederacy, slavery and civil war. I went to Drayton Hall and learned much about the mansion’s egregious past, as well as spotting some turtles, herons, crabs, frogs and eagles in the luscious grounds. ImageImage

3) Outdoor Rec

Outdoor Recreation, affectionately known around USC as ‘ORec’, provides USC students with the opportunity to rent camping and sports equipment and go on adventure trips with qualified and experienced trip leaders. It’s a great way to see your host country and it’s dirt-cheap. I went on a five-day Outdoor Rec trip over Fall Break and it cost me $100 (£58)- everything included. It’s thanks to ORec that I canoed down the Congaree river, learned how to rock-climb in Alabama, bouldered my way across South Carolina’s stunning rock faces, petted wild ponies in Virginia’s Grayson Highlands and tried my first helping of s’mores under the Georgia stars. 1236936_10153741684220113_1446741469_n10175018_10154024952715113_6196283812416330653_n

2) Visit Charleston

If you ever need a weekend away from campus, go to Charleston. A mix between Hellenic architecture, swing-seat Southern antiquity and golden sunshine, Charleston makes for the perfect sightseeing blend. It is packed full of museums and historic houses, battleground sights, quaint restaurants and cafes, luscious beaches, palm trees, horse-drawn carriages, ghost tours, market stalls, fresh seafood, a fantastic choice of shops and more vintage bikes than you’ve ever seen before. With so much to see and do, you’ll be planning your next trip out there before you’ve even left. 1277923_10151755043913897_425280298_o

1) Watch the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice stadium

American football. It occupies a huge space in the hearts of many Americans. But in the hearts of Southern Americans? That’s a different kind of love altogether. Watching the Gamecocks play at Williams-Brice, a stadium boasting a seating capacity of 80,250, blew my mind time and time again. The entire spectacle is a grandiose expression of American team spirit and South Carolinian pride, through cheerleading displays, brass band performances, crowd chants, video montages and firework displays after every touchdown. Whatever you make of American football, the extravagant nature of the entire event renders a visit to the Gamecock’s nest truly unmissable. 1267851_10153197620035113_1460927503_o

 

Tags: alabama, , bid day, bouldering, Charleston, , England, experience, , , georgia, , , plantation, rock-climbing, , south, state fair, , study abroad, thrift shopping, , university of South Carolina, , virginia, williams-brice

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