Visiting Bath on my Foreign Study Program!
Dartmouth takes the value of going abroad to heart, giving students the cultural and historical experience of the places they stay at. After all, studying in a different place has minimal value if you never explore where you are! This week, through Dartmouth, my Music FSP took an all-expenses-paid day trip to Bath, the city in England where the famous Roman baths are located.
The second week in London, admittedly, has been a learning curve. Being in a new city, navigating my way through commutes, and dealing with unpredictable situations, even if they feel small, adds up. Even something as small as watching the train go by just as I was about to reach the platform felt disheartening. The first week was full of novelty, but I'm realizing that that feeling won't last the whole ten weeks. It's the beginning of adjusting to something new, and although it isn't easy, it's an opportunity for growth, to reassess who I am and my values in a different country!
The Bath trip, as a result, was a well-needed change in my developing weekly routine. On top of being taken on a small tour of the city, we were treated to afternoon tea and a ticket into the Roman Baths. We can't swim in it, but we can try the water (I tried it twice; it's not very tasty)! I took Latin in high school, and it was awesome to walk through the bathhouse where so many Romans had been and stand in places that I'd only read about before! The desserts and tea were so delicious, as well!
I'm excited for what's to come next, even though my life for the past week has been filled with semi-hectic decisions of figuring out what groceries to buy, when to take the train, when to do my readings for class, and most importantly, when to practice my instrument, I have more time to myself than I typically do on campus. It's given me the chance to reflect more about myself and what I want to do in the coming weeks and years. At the end of the day, I'm still figuring out really who I am, and I hope that I can use the slower lifestyle that this FSP gives (even if it's still bustling!) to get closer to that answer.
Here's to the next week!