Hello from Glasgow, Scotland!
I am finally completing my long-term study abroad as a student at the University of Oklahoma, and I am so excited! My semester as an exchange student will be as a “Theatre Studies” pupil at the University of Glasgow in Scotland!
The journey over here was fraught, to say the least. I have never traveled abroad on my own before, and so, after a very tearful goodbye to my parents, I boarded my first plane to Dallas and told myself not to look back, lest I loose my nerve and chicken out. I had a few challenges ahead of me:
- Figure out how to use the Skylink in Dallas and change terminals in my one hour of layover time.
- Try to get some sleep on the 14 hour flight to London Heathrow.
- Figure out how to go through Customs and Immigration at London Heathrow, then find my gate and board my flight to Glasgow. Simultaneously, switch my sim card so that I can update my parents on where I was.
- Land in Glasgow and figure out how to hail a taxi to my hotel.
While on paper these seem like quite simple steps, the reality is that I was thoroughly freaking out about the various unknowns. I am a person who needs to know what steps to take and how to take them. Thus began the first lesson of my study abroad experience: be okay with winging it, adjusting, failing, and finding a new solution.
The first hiccup came from Dallas. I hopped off of my American Airlines, one-hour flight from OKC to Texas, walked leisurely to the Skylink information board, and saw that the tram from my terminal to the terminal I needed to go to was currently inoperable. All the others, however, were fully operational. I panic.
As I needed to cross from the domestic terminal to the international terminal in about forty-five minutes, I started a hefty speedwalk through the airport. Although my plans of buying one last American burger before take-off were squashed, I did manage to make it to my gate just in time for check-in, and thus began my journey to Scotland in earnest.
This set-back put me on edge for the rest of the flight. Though I tried to relax and enjoy my flight meal (barbeque chicken and rice, which I actually very much enjoyed!), I couldn’t help but feel woefully unprepared. I even watched the British Airways complementary “How to Navigate Customs and Immigration” on-board entertainment video about fifteen times before I landed as preparation. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that both the signage and the employees at London Heathrow were clear, friendly, and helpful.
Though my flight to Glasgow was delayed for an hour by a technical issue, I was eventually high in the sky and on my way to Scotland. As we prepared for landing, I saw landforms and geography the likes of which I had never before seen.
Looming mountains with sharp cutoffs and vertical striations composed the hills and valleys, while soft, mossy greens covered the sloping landscape. Navy blue waters traced like lace through the rocky terrain, and, as we flew closer to the ground, I even saw small speckles of grazing sheep dotting the fields. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
When I landed, a helpful bystander informed me that there was a line (or, “queue,” I’ve learned) outside where the taxis waited. My driver was incredibly friendly, personable, and encouraging. He told me I would adjust quickly (to the time difference and the accent), and even gave me a brief overview of the places and history we passed on the way to my hotel. His welcome made all the difference.
I arrived, unscathed, at the Ambassador Hotel in Glasgow, and settled in for the blessedly cold weather and adventure awaiting me outside.
Me, safely in Glasgow and already putting my jacket to good use.
