Written by: Gabi Mathus | Spring 2024
IFSA – University of Edinburgh
To say that I am having difficulty wrapping my head around how it has been 4 months since my arrival is the understatement of the century. Yet, despite this feeling, I have also been reconciling with how comfortable I feel in my routine at this point. This experience has been a whirlwind, so let me give you the CliffNotes version of my experience in what I have been envisioning as “The Top 5 Weird, Wonderful and Whimsical Realities of Studying Abroad”.
1. Meeting new people
This piece feels like it is the most important thing to address, so I will say it right out of
the gate: it is SO easy to make friends while you are abroad. No, seriously. If you are
reading this in an attempt to decide whether or not it is a good idea for you to study
abroad I am sure the prospect of finding new friends has been weighing heavy on your mind. I am here to assure you that not only have I made friends, but I cultivated such an incredible support system since being here. Pictured here are my absolutely incredible flatmates (Left to right: Gabi (the only one of us who is a full time U of E student), Heather, Me, and Evelyn behind me). This is one of the first photos we took as a “family” or a “kitchen” as we also refer to our unit. We decided very early on that it would be fun, and also honestly just practical, to make the bulk of our meals together and split the cost of groceries evenly. Together we have made so many memories (and meals!) that made me feel like I have known them my whole life.
Moral: Trust in the people around you and know that you are all in the same boat.
Outside of flat 5, I met the lovely Maaheen, a fellow psychology nerd. She continues to ground me and remind me of the beauty in the little things (often those little things are cups of coffee at a new cafe she brings me along to try out).
2. Seeing the sights and learning about local culture
Edinburgh is undeniably beautiful, I knew this and found it extremely motivating when I was first applying to come here. However, I still find that every single day I am unlocking a new route or connection to a part of the city I haven’t explored, big or small. A definite highlight of Edinburgh for me is the absolute majesty that is Arthur’s Seat. I am writing this from my kitchen in my flat, but if I gaze out the window I can see this absolute behemoth of a dormant volcano that is under a mile away.
In terms of the other big markers of the city, I would be hard pressed to not mention
Edinburgh Castle. It is such a solid and beautiful piece of architecture, and as a history
nerd, it is kind of hard to reconcile with being in the presence of something so old and
grand. Looking back on these pictures, I still feel so overwhelmed by how happy I was,
and how new everything felt. Even though both of these places are relatively touristy
spots, I feel such a deep love for them and the joy they brought me.
That said, I would be failing to give you a full picture of the city if I did not talk about the
amazing nightlife here. My top 3 recommendations if going out is your kind of thing are 1.
The Doghouse (ironic, I recognize), 2. Whistlebinkies (live music and fun!), and 3.The
Frankenstein pub. Okay, so to be totally honest, that last one is more so just for the
novelty, but if you love Halloween like I do, it is absolutely worth it (they play the original
movie over and over again, which provides hours of entertainment if you ask me). I have
had some amazing nights dancing and laughing with friends, so I cannot recommend
enough pushing yourself to explore these areas of wherever you might visit (even if
going out isn’t normally your thing as is the case with me).
A personal highlight of the city for me is this sweet little angel, Greyfriar Bobby. He is a
statue of a dog who waited in this exact spot hundreds of years ago for his owner who
was a sailor to come home and people would feed him and remind him of how sweet he
was. Now, he is immortalized with a statue that people like to pet on the nose for luck
(although some have strong feelings about not fading the statue) and to show
appreciation to the most loyal and sweet dog there is.
Moral: Be it pubs, dog statues or volcanoes, the world around you is full with gems big
and small that are waiting for you to explore.
3. Food and feelings
Looking at this photo, this is still some of the most beautiful food I have ever seen haha. I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but Mary’s Cafe and Bistro was a huge pivot point for me at the start of this adventure. Sitting opposite of me in this photo is the lovely Maaheen, and at this point we had just finished our orientation for IFSA. Given the fact that we live in the same building and were in the same orientation group, we spent the entire week together. In that time, we got lost, shared our worries, talked about our universities, and shared so many laughs. When I took this photo, I felt like I was sharing a meal with a lifelong friend. At this point as well, we had been to this restaurant I believe 3 times, to the point where the owner welcomed us like we were local. It feels silly looking back on it, but that genuinely meant so much to have an anchor in Maaheen and in this space. Plus, the food was absolutely divine, 10/10. Food has really been a source of great comfort since being here. I have always enjoyed cooking, but with my flatmates and I acting as a “kitchen” to support each other in outlandish recipes and the same 5 comfort meals, I feel like food has really facilitated so many of the connections I have made here.
Moral: Embrace group activities or something you like doing, but maybe are not the best at. It is so fun to watch yourself grow and evolve because you decided to take yourself less seriously.
4. Seeing the world
If you get the chance to go abroad, familiarize yourself with RyanAir and EasyJet. These cheap airlines are responsible for some of the most valuable memories I have made + they are the reason I could afford to plan a 2 week getaway to Copenhagen and Amsterdam with my flatmates. Getting to see pockets of Europe, places I have dreamed of going for years, was so incredibly rewarding. My friends and I had spent a full night just ironing out the details of our trip, and it really was like our Herculean test to prove how much we had learned at that point. There were some hiccups for sure, but it was so gratifying to have all of the pieces come together.
Outside of our European escapade, our IFSA trip to the Highlands proved to be just as thrilling. You can only imagine the pure unbridled joy I had seeing a castle straight out of Lord of the Rings. Getting to travel outside of the bubble that is the city to explore a more remote part of Scotland made me feel like I had time traveled, and with our history tour, it sort of felt like we had!
Moral: Do not feel limited by your main area that you are studying in. Even if you cannot afford to go far, go on those silly weekend trips with your group and take the opportunity to be as touristy as you feel like!
5. Candid moments and getting out of my comfort zone
Speaking of taking yourself less seriously, I have found that so many of the moments that feel representative of my time here were done completely by accident. For one, the entire European escapade was inspired by a notification I got from Spotify informing me that Paris Paloma was going to be touring Europe with Maisie Peters. So, I talked to my flatmate Heather about it who loves Maisie Peters, and thus a magical trip was born🙂
Some of the highlights of the trip also include the chance encounter of meeting Paris Paloma?? That made the entire trip for me to be so honest. Ultimately though, in all of the excursions I went on in my time here, I know they would have been entirely different without the amazing people I met along the way (see to the right our friends we made in line at the concert!)
We arrived very early in the morning with very degrees Given how early it was, we were pretty delirious, but the company of good friends made the early flight worth it.
Moral: At the end of the day, it is the in between and unexpected moments that make the best memories.
Conclusion and my lessons so far
Being in another country has meant so many things for my educational experience and journey toward personal growth. I know that sounds cheesy, but I mean it wholeheartedly when I say I feel like a complete stranger to the version of myself I was when I first arrived in Edinburgh. These past few months have challenged me in ways that I hadn’t expected, and overall I have learned a lot about how capable I am of independence. I found myself challenging what a university experience looked like to me, and I fully feel as though being here has opened my mind to what I really want and value in my life. Suffice it to say, I really do feel changed by this experience, but more importantly I feel empowered. Being away from what I have known for the past 2.5 years reminded me of what made me choose Butler in the first place, but also what I was limiting myself to by getting in my day-to-day routines. If you are thinking about traveling abroad, I can not express this enough, DO IT! Look for those scholarships, fill out those applications and go to those information sessions, it is all so worth it in the end.