By Tommy Steele

Just as the spring weather has been getting really hot here in North Carolina, the end of the semester is near. This has meant I have been pretty busy completing my last assignments and have been preparing for my final exams. I have three exams coming up including one oral interview exam for Spanish. Along with a lot of study and finishing up my final assignments, I have also been trying to make the most of the 30-degree heat waves that we have been experiencing.

My friends and I have been going to the beach a lot more and the water has finally warmed up so we have been able to experience a few swims lately in the Atlantic Ocean – which is a lot warmer than the Pacific!

I recently went to see the grand Wilmington Battleship, which was used in World War II. Hosting up to 2,000 American men, the Battleship participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific theatre of operations during the 1940s when the US army was fighting mainly the Japanese army. It was interesting to see all the different cabin rooms below deck and to see the US Naval capabilities of the Ship which included many guns, cannons and planes on board.

I also went to a shooting range with a friend for the American experience, as we do not have them back at home. It was a unique experience and after speaking to the workers in the store, I could sense their national pride they had in being Americans and having the Right to Bear Arms which is the Second Amendment in the U.S. Constitution.

In addition, I have also had to start saying goodbye to the friends I have made during my time here; mainly my American friends and some other international students. Although this has been sad, I am so grateful to have had this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study abroad to develop global skills, learn new cultures and a new perspective on living in another country!