Well, it happened. After years of dreaming and months of planning I finally ended up on exchange in Glasgow. Exchanges are something I have been toying with since I first applied to University. It ended up being a major factor in why I chose the university of Toronto. Starting in first year I had lists upon lists of different exchanges to pick between. By the end of first year I had narrowed it down to somewhere in the United Kingdom, a semester later it was down to Scotland with Glasgow at the top of my list. By the end of second semester I had confirmation, I was going to spend 6 months in Glasgow!
There were countless weeks of packing and unpacking my clothes, adding and removing shoes based on the amount of space left. Then all of a sudden, we were off… like a dirty shirt (as my grandfather says). First to Pearson for an overnight flight to Heathrow and then a quick flight up to Glasgow from there (a flight that I later found out my new roommate and new friends were also on).
As soon as I arrived in Glasgow I used the last little bit of energy to unpack my stuff. I was getting ready to make the only package on instant noodles my mom had sent me with and call it a night when my new roommate knocked on my door and invited me out for dinner with her and some people from her school. A couple slices of pizza and some pints of cider later I had found my people and my place.
There has always been a central settlement location in Glasgow, due to its positioning in relation to the river. The foundation of the city itself is attributed to Saint Mungo. Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and the third largest in the United Kingdom. The University itself was founded in 1451, making it the fourth oldest university in the English speaking world and imbuing it with a rich and lengthy history. Many of the buildings give of very Hogwarts-esque vibes with the main building of the University looking quite castle-like.
The library, which is where I’m writing this from, is one of the oldest and largest libraries in Europe. The cozy study booths give off much warmer and cozier vibes than that of Robarts (sorry, Toronto). Although, I haven’t seen the sun yet this week and it’s dark by 4:30, it hasn’t stopped us from starting to explore Glasgow and absolutely loving it.
What an adventure! So proud of you seizing the moment and trying something new – although I’m a little embarrassed that my giving you some emergency mr noodles has been broadcast to the world!💕