Weekend Trip to Amsterdam Wahooo!
Author: Candace Cochran | Major: Theatre | Semester: Summer 2023
Being a part of the Theatre in London program, this summer was one of the most interesting and fulfilling trips of my life. The London area, I knew, had so much theatre in it, but I did not know the magnitude of that belief. It seemed there was a theatre on every other block in the city. I saw, I believe, seventeen shows in my month-long stay and that is the most theatre I have ever seen in my life. Theatre is also equitable in London! You can get tickets to West End shows for as low as 15 pounds. When I check the American ticketing website for New York the same show can cost three times the price for a single ticket! Being in the presence of so many actors and creatives while abroad gave me the confidence to have faith in myself. If they can do it, so can I. I understand the theatre industry whether for entertainment or for educational purposes is a tough industry to get into and thrive, but I think experiencing that sheer mass of theatre that can exist in a city like London gave me a lot of hope for my future. There are so many options and places to take yourself to continue working in the theatre.
Classes abroad also differed in the hands-on aspect of learning. We went to a plethora of museums instead of reading about the artifacts in a textbook. We were able to deepen our connection to England’s history by seeing it with our own two eyes. England and its royalties loved the theatre and put lots of money into continuing the production of their favorite theatre groups. I saw the palace and the prison Henry IIIV’s wives lived in. I saw all the aspects of these historical figures’ lives, albeit those that the public can still see today.
Outside of class I got to experience a lot of different foods. I have celiac disease so living in NWA there are few options for me at restaurants or fast-food places so coming to London was like a breath of fresh air. I had options once again! I tried curry, halal chicken, sushi, bread once again, ha-ha, and so much… gelato. My friends and I went on a weekend trip to Amsterdam and there I had probably the best gelato I have ever had in my life. It was Blood Orange flavored, and it saved me from the summer European heat that was beating down on us all weekend.
My best advice to give prospective study abroad students is to be so grateful. This is an experience so few of us get. I just finished one of the greatest memories I will ever have in my life, and it went by way too fast. Stay in the moment. Try to laugh more than you cry. If you get lost on the tube, laugh it off, keep moving forward. Your day is not ruined by a small and understandably frustrating mistake. Be so kind to your group of friends and peers you are with. This is your family for the next month, semester, or year and you will cultivate lifelong relationships with these people if you so choose. Do not complain more than the acceptable human amount; this is your moment! Cherish it. Embrace it. Get sweaty. Get dirty. And soak in all the knowledge and encouragement in your prospective field that you can. Studying abroad can change the trajectory of your life.