Op-Ed: I’m Going Abroad to Gregory College House

Hey, what’s up you guys! I just got off my flight to Philadelphia International Airport from Heathrow, and I’m really excited to show everyone my upcoming Fall semester, going off the beaten path and (drumroll please) … studying abroad! I know, I know. I am a person simply consumed by wanderlust, and most people wouldn’t understand why I would want to abandon my campus and my friends for many months. I know, I’m different. 

I want to explore the world! I want my mind, body, and soul to experience different environments, different cultures, different halal carts, even! And with this adventure to distant lands, I will achieve these mental revelations, this growth and progression, that I have always sought. For this reason, I have chosen to study abroad at Gregory College House this semester.  

I hop into my uber from the airport to campus and get settled into my quad in Harnwell. In a few months, this space will become mine, but, between now and then, I will be transported away to unknown lands, exploring my comfort zone. After dropping my stuff off, I embark on the long journey to Gregory. Everything around me feels foreign. Where is this; where am I? Why does the elevator keep stopping? And I thought the trek to the 40th and Market Septa station was dangerous. Anticipation fills my bones; since we’re going below sea-level [Harnwell 22nd floor], I imagine scuba diving and snorkeling galore. I imagine what the cuisine is like – do they even have a Bento? Hopefully, I’ll be able to practice my language skills too; Barcelona and Amsterdam were filled up by the time I got to applying for study abroad, so this felt like the next best thing. I’m currently trilingual – fluent in English, Quad, and High Rise – but every renaissance woman is a polyglot. 

Stepping into Gregory, I breathe new air into my lungs. Days, weeks, months of growth to come, I can feel it. I quickly bond with the Australian exchange students in the double next to mine, and we hop straight into our first adventure. One step out of our new home and – oh ... Is that ZBT? The Tampons? Right there? Huh. 

Time to go home, I think. Remember to like and subscribe.