When Rachael Sultze was a little girl, she remembers dreaming about traveling to places like Spain and Paris, with the hopes of exploring their cultural and social life.
In January, the 20-year-old got to fulfill that dream by studying abroad in London, England for three months.
Sultze, a senior studying graphic design at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, said she likes to try new things and was getting ‘antsy and restless? at her private Catholic college.
Studying abroad seemed to be the answer.
Sharing a dorm-like apartment with eight other classmates, Sultze took art and theater classes at Goldsmiths College at the University of London four days a week.
In her art classes, the 2004 Oxford graduate took an introduction to painting and a class on digital media, which covered creating art in Adobe Photoshop. Sultze also took two theater classes which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Though the closest she came to royalty was a guard outside Buckingham Palace, it was rumored that British actors Emma Thompson and Jude Law were at two different plays she attended.
When she wasn’t taking classes, Sultze spent her days and nights visiting famous landmarks in England such as Tower Bridge, Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Stonehenge.
She also searched local markets, like the Portabello Road and Canyon markets, for vintage items to bring home.
‘It was a pack rat’s haven,? she joked.
Sultze and a friend were also able to sit in on two different debates at the House of Parliament, one in the House of Commons and one in the House of Lords.
‘It was quite interesting,? she said. ‘The British really like to make quite the statement.?
Although those in Parliament liked to discuss and debate politics, Sultze said she was surprised none of the college students she met were as outspoken on certain issues, like the war in Iraq, as college students in America.
One thing that wasn’t a surprise to Sultze was how tasty English food really is. She said her favorite meals to eat were fish and chips and a dish called ‘Bangers and Mash,? which is fried sausages served with mashed potatoes.
‘British food’s pretty much the same as ours,? she said. ‘It’s just as or even more greasy.?
After spending three months in another country and out of her comfort zone, Sultze said she ended up learning more about herself than the country she was studying in.
‘I’ve been struggling with who I am and what I want to do and where I want to go,? she said. ‘Being independent and having to do stuff on your own for a long period of time enables you to really discover so many interesting things about yourself.?
For those thinking about studying abroad, Sultze said to ‘just do it.?
‘You find out who you are and you are experiencing something so incredible that you may not get the opportunity to experience ever again,? she said.