I love meeting new people and discovering new cultures. Wales is part of the United Kingdom, along with England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. My home state is Maryland, and I am doing an exchange program from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Wales has a fascinating history, as many of the native Celtic people were pushed here following invasions. In Wales, they speak both Welsh and English! The longest town name in the world is in Wales: "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch." Try pronouncing that! In English, my school is called Swansea University. In Welsh, it is Prifysgol Abertawe.
The Welsh are really nice, welcoming people. They live in a beautiful country, right along the Irish Sea. I already went for a swim, as I live five minutes from the beach. It is really cold water! In Wales, there are more sheep than people.
I am looking forward to taking classes on law, greek mythology, history, and creative writing. I have already met incredible people, and bought myself a nice road bike. Biking is wonderful here, as the air is so fresh. I can ride right along the sea, the Gower Coast is beautiful. At the end of my ride, I get off my bike and hop into the ocean to cool off. I also plan on playing for the Swansea University Baseball team while I am here.
Want to know more about how you can study or intern abroad when you are a college student? The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Learn more about the scholarship by clicking here!
