I'm a senior studying History and I had wanted to study abroad in Scotland since my freshman year at Rice. I was very interested in Scottish history and I have Scottish heritage that I wanted to learn more about as well. My favorite part of studying abroad in Scotland was being able to meet new people and make friends from all over the world. Some of the best parts of my time there were exploring around the old streets of Edinburgh, finding new coffee shops to work at, and doing hikes with my friends. In my opinion, Scotland has the most beautiful landscapes and scenery and I'm so happy that I was able to go see the highlands before I left. I loved being able to travel not only around Scotland but in other parts of the UK and Europe. It was interesting to be able to learn about different cultures and how Scotland sees the rest of the UK and Europe. It sounds cliché, but I think I learned a lot about myself while I was abroad as well. I had to learn a lot about being comfortable on my own and building a new support system of friends while I was away. I found that I had a lot more time to devote to learning about my new home in Edinburgh, on days where I didn’t have class my friends and I would go to museums, or travel to see castles. I also realized that I was able to make time for things that I was usually too busy for back at Rice like drawing or taking walks around Edinburgh’s historic district. Scotland has so much history, and Edinburgh has been such a central part in Scotland’s history that I can see why so many people feel inspired there. Even though my Spring semester in Scotland was cut short, I feel so happy about the experiences I did get to have and I can’t wait to go back to one day.