Exploring Scotland

Angela Laureta
University of Stirling, Scotland

Aloha everyone, my name is Angela Laureta and I study Sports Medicine and Therapy at University of Hawaiʻi, at Hilo. This spring, I decided to study abroad in Scotland attending University of Stirling studying Sport Studies. My semester has been filled with unforgettable memories and great adventures.

One of my favourite events during my time in Scotland has to be during the reading break when my flatmates and I decided to take a trip to Loch Ness and Isle of Skye. That trip overall was a disaster but at the same time hilarious! We were lost most of the time, but we eventually got to the place we wanted, except for the Isle of Skye.

Our adventures in Loch Ness was one of the most memorable for me because even though we were miserable from the cold weather and hunger, it was full of laughter. We ended up almost getting stranded in this small town in Loch Ness on a Sunday where bus service is not very reliable. One of my flatmates and I had to go back to Stirling that day and the others were going to catch a bus to Isle of Skye. My flatmate and I eventually made it back to Stirling on time, while the others ended up going to Fort William instead and never made it to Skye. Although there was a lot of trouble in our trip, I actually felt so content and happy that it turned out to be that way. I guess it was the people that I was with that made it all better.

My second favourite moment was when I went Skydiving somewhere in Scotland. I honestly don't remember the name of the city, all I remember is that it was a beautiful city about half an hour away from Stirling and it had a nice scenery. We were very lucky that day because it was really sunny and Scotland rarely gets any sunny days in February. It was a perfect day to go Skydiving and that overall experience was just amazing. I was very surprised of myself when making this decision because I never hesitated nor felt fear about doing it.

As soon as I got on the plane, I remember this rush of adrenaline that came over me and not feeling fear or nervousness at all as we were going up. It was not until when I was hanging on the plane and was about to jump that I literally had a moment of panic and fear crept up on me. As soon as I jumped and when my parachute launched, my fear was replaced with relief and satisfaction. I could see everything from above and it was simply breath taking. If I had the chance to do it again, I would definitely do it in a heartbeat.

Coming to Scotland is definitely one of the greatest decision I made in my life. My overall experience has helped me grow as a person and I have learned so much about myself. I am thankful for this amazing opportunity! I look forward to continue my journey and hope to create more great memories!