Recommendation: Study Abroad

The summer before my senior year of high school, I embarked on the adventure of my life.  I spent two and half weeks traveling through Scotland, England, and France.  A group of about fifteen boys and girls went as part of a program through Memphis University School which was my brother school.  Through travel, study, and exploration, we learned about the geology of specific locations throughout Scotland, England, and France.

We started our trip in Scotland.  Edinburgh to be exact.  On the very first day of our travels, I soon discovered that some serious hiking would be involved.  I came to this realization when I finally made it to the top of Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park.





Arthur's Seat

 

In Edinburgh, we also visited some beautiful castles such as Edinburgh Castle.  This was some of the most detailed architecture that I had ever seen.

As we continued on our travels, we made our way into England.  One of the coolest geological sites I had ever seen was in Dorset, England.  This was the Durdle Door.  A natural arch of rock that projects into the sea.

While half of the trip we traveled from city to city, the other half was spent in Loire Valley in France.  We had the opportunity to stay in a french chateau by the name of La Giraudière.  It was an absolute dream.  It was built in 1846 on the grounds of a castle destroyed during the French Revolution.  Here we met for class, spent time doing various outdoor activities, and ate exquisite french foods.

La Giraudière

As the final part to our trip, we spent our last night in Paris, France.  I especially looked forward to visiting this romantic city.  For years, I had seen locations such as the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysées in my french textbooks only imagining ever visiting.  I would love to go back to Paris and spend more time there.  Absolutely beautiful city.

Avenue des Champs-Elysees

The chance to experience different cultures is like none other.  I highly recommend doing some sort of study abroad program while in school.  The chance to both travel and get class credit is well worth it.  Personally, I would advise Europe.  There are so many opportunities to see unique, historical places from country to country.