Reflecting

Looking back on my time abroad, it almost doesn’t even feel real. Did that really happen? Did I actually live in Scotland for four months? A brand new country where I didn’t know a soul? Where I wasn’t able to see my family and friends for a whole season? Yeah, I actually did that. I’m …

Trying to “Hope” Again

So… Hope’s 2nd semester classes are about to start up, and it’s becoming more and more apparent to me that I don’t remember how to be a Hope student. Someone the other day asked me if I have experienced culture shock since arriving home, and I confidently answered, “No!” I mean, jet lag definitely affected …

Flying Home

I haven’t written in a while, and that’s because I’m finally home! Home for me is Southeastern Ohio, so a traded granite Scottish buildings for cornfields and green pastures. It’s exciting to be in America again, weird but exciting, and my adrenaline was high the whole day that I was flying home. My day started …

Scottish Exam Week(s)

The semester is finally drawing to a close, and I don’t know what’s worse: having to leave Scotland or having to take exams. The truth is, my exam week isn’t necessarily harder than my finals week at Hope. It’s just different. First off, Aberdeen’s exam schedule starts with a review week. During this week, students …

Aberdeen’s Holiday Parade

Chestnuts roastin’ on an open fire… reindeer riding on Segways? Yeah, that’s what I saw at Aberdeen’s Christmas Parade. Don’t believe me? Well, just take a look at the video below. I captured the whole thing on my phone and wanted to upload it so that I could spread some holiday cheer, but first, here’s …

Visiting Edinburgh’s Christmas Markets!

During my last weekend in Scotland, my four study abroad besties and I made another trip to Edinburgh. This time, however, the city was decked out in holiday decorations, complete with Christmas markets, light shows, ice skating, and tons and tons of rides. I vlogged the whole thing, too! Check it out!  

Livin’ Large in London (Again!)

Hi, guys! During the Halloweekend, some friends of mine and I were able to travel to my favorite city in the world: London! You might remember from one of my earlier posts that I already traveled to this city before moving into Aberdeen. I absolutely loved it then, so when my new friends expressed interest …

Where Is God When You Study Abroad?

If you go to Hope, you know that it’s basically a Christian Bubble. You know multiple people going on mission trips this summer, tons of your friends work with Young Life, and you’re probably a part of at least two Bible studies and a house church. And this is all great! Hope is a perfect …

Pretending to be wizards in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Hi, everybody! A while ago my friends Jordan and Kate (another Hope student) and I decided to take a trip to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The trip was so much fun, and we got to do a lot of cool stuff, like see museums, get gorgeous views of the Edinburgh Castle, and, of course, visit almost every …

Exploring New Slains Castle

My friends and I had the opportunity to take a trip to New Slains Castle, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s gothic novel Dracula. It was nestled against the sea in the quaint Scottish town of Cruden Bay. We had an absolute blast climbing rocky cliffs and exploring the castle ruins, but instead of writing a long …