by Tyler Perhac ‘19, Staff Writer
To get a breath of fresh air, oftentimes people just take a step outside and smell the roses; however, Hannah Wintermute decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean for her fresh air.
Studying English and secondary education, Wintermute is a junior at Lebanon Valley College. To begin her third year of college, Wintermute took the opportunity to study abroad in England at Kingston University this semester. She is taking four courses at Kingston, which mostly revolve around literature.
“It’s definitely different having to get up and take a bus to school,” Wintermute said. “Being three hours long, lectures are a bit more challenging, but its kind of nice as it allows more time to be spent appreciating the culture here. Being in an area that’s so close to such a huge city (London) is much different than Annville.”
Kingston University sits in southwest London, so there is plenty of opportunities to travel and sightsee. So far, she has traveled to Scotland and is hoping to make it to Ireland as well. Of everything Wintermute has seen in her first month abroad, Stonehenge stands out the most.
“I’ve had the blessing to see more of the world,” Wintermute said. “Stonehenge, Bath, Edinburgh, Big Ben, the London Eye and the Highlands have been incredible. Stonehenge was one of the most breathtaking sights I’ve seen. I didn’t realize how close I would get to stand there, so it was incredible to stand in front of something so iconic and breathtaking.”
Aside from going from Annville to big city living, there’s been plenty of other adjustments for Wintermute. Being away from family and friends, learning a new currency, different commutes and not knowing anyone is a huge change. Before traveling, she had to contact all her banks and set up her accounts, exchange currency, and then adjust to a different system where prices are different. Despite all of this, Wintermute has made the most of this opportunity so far and taken it as a chance to restart, or, get a breath of fresh air.
“Being in a new place without knowing anyone,” Wintermute said, “You get to reinvent yourself and be who you want to be. It’s like a breath of fresh air and freedom in a world that can be so constricting. Even though its school, it’s still an escape, which is flabbergasting to me.”
Wintermute and two other LVC students took to the United Kingdom in earlier September and will return in December after they complete the semester. An experience not many students are lucky enough to take on, she has loved every moment and is even considering moving there after graduation.
“I thought I just signed up to study at a school in a different country,” Wintermute said. “Little did I know, I signed up to change my life.”
A study abroad information session will be held on Tuesday, October 22 at 11 a.m. in the Clyde A. Lynch Memorial Hall. The program includes trips to Italy, London, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Germany and Quebec. More information can be found at:
https://www.lvc.edu/events/details/summer-study-abroad-info-session/2019-10-22/