By Rylee Britton

As I’m writing this, it feels weird knowing that my exchange is almost over. When I first arrived, everything was super scary, and now it feels like this is normal. I didn’t expect that at all. I can honestly say I’ve really loved my time on exchange, and I’m so excited (and relieved) that I’ve been able to extend it.

The biggest highlight of my exchange has easily been the people. I’ve met so many different kinds of people from all over the world, and somehow it felt completely normal very quickly. When you’re all away from home, friendships form fast. You spend a lot of time together, you rely on each other, and before you know it, these people become such a big part of your everyday life. Some of my favourite moments weren’t anything special, just sitting around, talking, laughing, or doing nothing together. Knowing that a lot of these friendships will eventually turn into long-distance ones or just memories is hard (one of the hardest parts of an exchange), but also the most rewarding, knowing that you got to at least experience this kind of love and friendship even if it was for a short period of time.

That being said, exchange isn’t always easy. Toward the end of the year, things definitely got harder. As Christmas is starting to get closer, I find myself missing home and my family more than I expected. It’s a strange feeling being somewhere you love, but still wanting to be somewhere else at the same time. On top of that, friends started heading back overseas, which made everything feel very final, very quickly. Exam season also didn’t help. Being tired, burnt out, and ready for a break while still having to push through assignments and exams was honestly exhausting. There were moments when I just wanted to give up, but you have to keep going.

I’ve learned so much from this exchange, especially in ways I didn’t really think about beforehand. Living overseas forces you to grow up a bit. I’ve learned how to rent, live with other people, and cook for myself properly, which sounds simple but feels like a big deal when it’s all on you. I’ve also learned that exchange doesn’t have to look a certain way. It doesn’t have to be constant travel or huge adventures. There’s so much beauty in the simple things, platonic friendships, nature, quiet nights in, and random trips to the cinema. It doesn’t always live up to the big hype people talk about, and that’s completely okay.

More than anything, this experience has changed how I think about my future. Coming from a small country, I didn’t realise how many opportunities existed overseas until I was actually here. Living in Scotland and the UK makes you feel small in the best way, like no one is watching too closely and everyone is just doing their own thing. That feeling has allowed me to be more myself. I don’t have everything figured out, but I know now that there is so much more out there than I ever thought, and I don’t want to stop exploring it.

I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity.