One of my weird habits is that I like to plan trips. I will sit down on in front of my computer and search for different trips to go on. I will plan the flight, find hotels, and start planning places that I want to travel to. I would just to do it for fun, and never really go through with any of it. I would plan trips for Italy, Florida, Spain, and London. London was the one that I would plan most of all. I have always wanted to go to London. Something about it has always seemed amazing to me. Being able to go and take part in the culture and see the sights is something that I have always wanted. However, like most of my trips, I didn't think that it would happen. It was just a fantasy really.
While I was at school I discovered the study abroad program, and saw a program that would go to London for the summer. I began my usual process of planning the trip thinking of things that I could do, and the flights I would take. I started budgeting like I usually do when I realized that I could actually afford this trip. The fantasy started to become real, and then about two weeks later I applied to go to the London Study Abroad Summer program.
My application went like this:
"I am currently majoring in English at BYU. For as long as I can remember I have loved to read and write. In first grade I wrote my first tome--a 50 page story about a unicorn that my teacher refused to read completely. And for the last five years I have tracked the number of books I have read, which currently total approximately 500. When it came time to decide on a career, I knew that I wanted to pursue what I enjoy most. Through the years I’ve grown to have a love for different kinds of literature, whether it be The Sound and the Fury, Harry Potter or The Book Thief. I believe that being able to go to London to study would be an amazing experience for me. I’ve often read about authors who had a place where they felt they could do their best work, and for as long as I can remember I have always thought that London would be that place for me. Writing with the image of Peter Pan flying in through my bedroom window or beside a wardrobe bound to Narnia could surely inspire. London is a city filled with a rich culture of art, writing, and architecture. I know that I could grow a lot from an artistic standpoint in a way that will be beneficial to me in my future career of English professor. Would a true lover of literature be able to turn down the chance to go to where Shakespeare wrote and performed his plays? Where Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol? Where Steven Moffat wrote episodes of Doctor Who?!
I believe that I will be an asset to this program because I can bring my quirky personality and general love for life. I truly love to learn and will always strive my hardest to do well in school and work, but I also believe that I should have a great time while I do so. I also believe that I can bring some of the experiences of leadership and hard work that I have acquired from high school, from my mission, and from the time I’ve spent in college. I served in many leadership roles in school, from vice president of the National Honor Society to being president of the book club (which was a big deal, I assure you). I believe that I work hard, and that my work ethic is reflected in my high school cumulative 4.0 GPA, my Eagle Award in the Boy Scouts, my current grades at BYU, and the job that I have maintained at Provo School District for nearly two years. I work in the tech department there, so if anything goes wrong with your technology in London, I’ll be sure to help out!
Author Samuel Johnson wrote that “there is in London all that Life can afford.” I absolutely believe this to be true. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime that I would be grateful to take part in."
A week later I had my interview, and a week after that I received an email stating that I had been accepted to the program! I cannot even say how excited I was. Unfortunately I was walking to my next class when I got the email, so I couldn't celebrate like I wanted to. On the inside I was exploding. In a good way. It's so amazing that this dream is actually happening. Stay in school kids.
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