Harriet is currently studying abroad at the Colorado State University (Fort Collins) in the USA as part of her English Literature Degree at Reading. Read on to find out how she’s adjusting life in the USA.
Before coming to Fort Collins, a friend and myself went to New York for five days and Florida for ten. We had an amazing time in New York: we went up the Rockefeller Centre, on a boat tour around New York City, and went shopping on 5th Avenue, among other things. Florida was also amazing: we went to Disney World for a few days, and we also went to Universal Studios. This travelling experience was a great way to see different parts of the country and at the end of it, we were both so excited to finally get to Colorado and move into our dorms!
When the plane began to land at Denver International Airport, I fell in love with Colorado; all you could see were fields with occasional small towns nestled among them, and this view didn’t change once I had landed. Through the whole drive from the airport to the University, the mountains were visible: they spread over the whole state and make for insane photos! My dorm room looks out onto the Rocky Mountains and I still haven’t got over the beauty of this state. Every morning when I wake up I have to take a picture of the mountains in the morning sun because it takes my breath away – it’s definitely very different to Reading!
Making the most of the semester abroad in the USA
My first few weeks at Colorado have been amazing! I have made lots of friends from all over the world, which is really cool. So far I have been on a hike up the mountains, gone to an American Football game, and went out boating on the Horsetooth Reservoir. Through most of the game I had no idea what was happening and our team lost, but it was an amazing atmosphere and it was definitely more interesting to watch than a normal football game! Going up the mountains was also amazing and stunning; you could see for miles all along the reservoir and I made a lot of friends whilst doing this hike who I have seen a lot since then. Going boating has definitely been my favourite thing so far though – I went with my roommate and her family friends and we did a lot of water sports, like tubing and wake-boarding.
My roommate is so nice; in the fortnight that we have known each other we have grown so close and I can definitely see us being friends for life. She has invited me to Seattle for a few days in December and I have made her promise to come and visit me in England once the study abroad experience is over. We have made a bucket-list of adventures to go on whilst we’re here, so quite soon we are hoping to get a group of us together and go on a hike at night to look at the stars and watch the sun rise over the mountains, which sounds really amazing.
There is quite a lot of work compared to back home, but none of it is too much, and it’s quite nice to know how you’re doing. The teachers are all really nice and are willing to help out with even the smallest thing. I can’t wait to spend more time getting to know the people and the state and am looking forward to going on different adventures!
Harriet