When I was 15 years old I dreamed of studying veterinary sciences abroad. I didn’t want to study the regular rabbits, cats and dogs, but the wild animals. That’s why I had my mind set on South Africa. Although I started studying veterinary sciences, I quit within six months. So that ship sailed.
After another six months I started on Language and Culture Studies and hoped that I would be able to do a semester abroad. However, after a year I switched to Applied Linguistics. There were no real opportunities to go abroad while doing that, so I resigned myself to the fact that studying abroad just wasn’t in the cards for me.
My husband did manage to spend a semester of his studies abroad in Argentina and at the end of the semester I came to visit him, and we made a roundtrip of South America (Argentina, Chile, Peru) in nearly eight weeks. To spend such a long time in a foreign country, especially one in which the culture is totally different from the one in the Netherlands was exciting.
This year I started doing a first degree in teaching English. Wouldn’t it be great to spend some of my studies in an English speaking country (preferably Great Britain)? It’s a part-time programme, however, and I think spending some time abroad just wouldn’t be feasible. On top of that I have my work now and I can’t just leave my place of employment for six months.
So, if not during my studies, I would still very much love to live abroad for some time and Great Britain is on the top of my list. I think it would be beneficial to my language skills.