Morgan Adams is a junior at Oklahoma State University. Traveling has always been a huge passion, so when Morgan discovered she and been accepted to study abroad in the Fall of 2013, she could not wait to experience the world.
Morgan attended Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland for the semester. Fortunately, Morgan knew a family in Aberdeen that works for her father. Morgan said, ” The Goodbrands really helped to aid me in adjusting to living in a different country as well as introduce me to people in Aberdeen.”
The first week of school was difficult, but she met some students who were studying abroad from Canada. After meeting them, Morgan instantly connected with them and knew would be spending most of her time with them traveling and exploring Scotland.
One of her favorite places in Scotland was the Crathes Castle. She said, ” the gardens were beautiful and the views were absolutely breathtaking.”
Something that is very common weekend activity is football Saturday. The sport of football is very different but Morgan mentioned, “if there is one thing the same, it is that the referees are terrible and everyone yells at them too.”
Of course, being abroad would never be the experience it is without traveling a little bit. The trip Morgan took was to Barcelona, Spain. One of the most exciting moments was when she met up with her mom Michelle. Morgan said, “we spent time exploring little shops and trying REALLY good sangria.” One of the most breathtaking landmarks she visited was the La Sagrada Familia church. “The church has a been under construction for over 100 years, and is still being worked on,” she said. The design and detail is so beautifully crafted and intricate, she said.
After a few days in Barcelona, Morgan was most excited to travel to Paris, France. As one of the fashion capitals of the world, this shopping addict could not wait to check out all the shops and of course the major landmarks.
“The first thing we did when we got to Paris was head to Champs-Elysees, which is where all the good shopping is,” she said. The next day, the famous Louvre was the main attraction to be visited, of course to see Mona Lisa. “I didn’t realize how big the Louvre was, and also how gorgeous it is lit up at night,” she said.
The Eiffel Tower was next on the list. “We hung out at the tower for a while, took a ton of pictures and it was just a really fun experience,” she said. Morgan said they left for a while to grab some food and wait for night to fall so they could see the city light up. “Seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle was absolutely breathtaking,” Morgan said.
The last stop on this trip was the Palace of Versailles. “We decided to take a tour, and WOW it is big,” she said. The hall of mirrors with all of the gorgeous chandeliers was her favorite part of the tour she said. From the palace, she headed back into the city to enjoy the last moments of her trip before going back to Aberdeen.
Next on the travel plans, was a trip to Italy to explore Rome and Florence. Morgan would go to Rome first, and then travel north to Florence.
“I thought Paris was beautiful, but I could not have been more wrong” Morgan said, “Rome was breathtaking, there are no words or pictures that can describe how beautiful it is.” She of course visited the most popular tourist sites. The Colloseum was the first, then the Pantheon and the ever so famous Trevi Fountain. “We spend all day coming up with the perfect wish,” she said. After a long day of sightseeing, she was in desperate need of a relaxing local Italian dinner. “We went to a part of town called Trastevere, and had the best dinner filled with bread, pasta wine and even better laughs,” she said.
The next day, Morgan got up and took a train into Florence for the day. “My favorite part was going to the bell tower that overlooks all of Florence, it was an incredible view,” she said. Some other things he did was wine tasting, before heading back to Rome.
Back in Rome, Morgan visited Vatican City as the last stop on her vacation. “I decided it would be beneficial to take a guided tour, so we got one from a nun,” she said. The nun explained all the major paintings in the Sistine Chapel and gave a virtual presentation of all the art so we could see the detail up close, she said. After Morgan left, she went to St. Peters Basilica, which of course has incredible architecture . “After we finished our tour, we went and grabbed lunch and went exploring of the back streets before we had to head home the next day.” she said.
Back in Aberdeen, Morgan only a couple short weeks being away from home. “Being abroad was the most incredible experience I could have ever asked for,” she said. There are so many things you learn, so many different cultures you encounter, and so much knowledge you gain from travelings, she said. “Being able to experience so much history has taught me so much about myself,” she said. There is a certain happiness in being well traveled, there is no other way to live your life then exploring and learning about the world, she said. Morgan said, “if you have the chance and ability to go abroad, do it, you will never encounter a more incredible experience in your life.”
Adventure Awaits 