The adjustment period for an exchange program can vary from person to person, but I knew that the best way for me to adapt was to maintain a routine. So once I became settled in my accommodation, I figured that I should create a schedule that allowed me time to get ready and make my way to campus with time to grab breakfast before lecture. It may not be a grand adventure every day, or even most days, but I realized that all of these ‘ordinary’ tasks were still so special to me because I was doing them in Scotland!

For instance, my walk to classes. Because I live on campus, it does not take a long time to get from my accommodation to the lecture halls, but there was rarely a morning when I wouldn’t stop to get a picture of the loch or the hill off in the distance. There could be a bright, blue sky or a morning fog, and I’d still capture the moment. It stuck out to me because I’d never really seen anything like it before. Charleston’s campus was always bustling for me, so experiencing things like early morning quietness was an unexpected time I found appreciation for.

No matter how often I strolled around campus or to and from my accommodation, there was constantly a moment where it all felt so surreal. It may not have always caused a physical reaction, like taking a picture, but I frequently thought, ‘how lucky am I to study here?’ As cheesy as it may seem, the small, otherwise insignificant times, like walking around campus, are ones I can tell I will never forget, and are the ones I know I will miss the most. I hope to continue taking the time to cherish the environment and the people around me when I return to the States, because my perspective on the ‘mundane’ moments has been transformed.