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Honors Abroad: Adventures in Scotland

By Erin Tabler | Nov 22, 2024

Two months after I’m writing this, I will be traveling to Scotland.

I am an Honors College student, so it is required for me to study abroad– but even if it wasn’t required, I always knew I wanted that experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to share about this experience not just in this story, in which I will introduce myself and describe my upcoming plans, but also in upcoming stories that I will write while actually in Scotland. So if you’re interested in hearing more about my upcoming experience, I will share photos and experiences in future pieces of this multi-part feature story.

Meet Me– The Author!
My name is Erin Tabler, and I am in my third year as a student at ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥¼ä State University. I am also a presidential fellow, a scholarship for which I have been doing research in the broad area of queer theory in literature. This research has recently culminated in a paper that examines the connection between queer motherhood and queer happenings in the natural world within Shakespeare’s plays. I am a Creative Writing Major, and though I’ve never doubted that this is the right area of study for me, this semester has certainly been the one to prove that confidence correct: my favorite class I have ever taken is a Novel Writing Workshop, in which I have developed a novel idea and written nearly a third of a draft of that novel. In addition to academics, here at ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥¼ä State I am involved with the English Student Organization, our chapter of the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), Board Game Club, and Intramural Sports. When I’m not working on homework, I am usually reading or watching movies with my friends. My ultimate goal is to be a published author, but as I work towards that goal I am also excited to teach English and instill in future students the same love of reading and writing that I hold.

The Location– Like Living in a Castle
Because I always knew I wanted to study abroad, the question was just one of which trip to choose. After researching a number of different trips, I applied to the Experience Scotland trip– a full semester abroad filled with studying diverse subjects at a college and plenty of opportunities to travel to surrounding areas. We will be staying at Newbattle Abbey College, which was built in 1140 and became a college in 1937. The Abbey– which is absolutely beautiful– is located in Dalkeith, a town just about seven miles from the more well known city of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. I highly recommend visiting the official website (newbattleabbey.com) to see pictures of the striking architecture and to learn more about the Abbey’s rich history.

While on the trip, I also hope to see the beautiful Highlands, explore Glasgow, and maybe even take a few long-weekend trips to other parts of Europe. Of course, I will also be taking a full load of classes. As an Honors student, a Creative Writing major, and a double minor in Psychology and Spanish, my studies are already fairly diverse. But I am excited to expand my studies even further, as I will be taking five classes that are each in a different subject area, including film, theater, and religions. As a person who is continuously in pursuit of knowledge, I am incredibly excited to have found a program with such diverse classes. Besides, as an enthusiastic creative writer, I know that this new setting full of unique experiences will inspire many stories. And some of those stories I will be sharing in the next part of this feature story, so don’t miss out on that! I’ll see you in Scotland!