As I walk into the house everyone turns to look at me, quiet and somewhat confused. “Hi, I’m Tom and I’m going to be living down in room 3,” I say. Then there is great excitement. One of my new British housemates comments, “You’ve traveled all the way across the ocean you must be starved, I’ll get you something to eat.” Within minutes I was engaged in a wondrous conversation with the people that soon became my new best friends. Another one of my new housemates remarked that she could listen to my accent all day. Before that moment I didn’t even know that I had an accent!! Thus began my semester abroad in Swansea Wales and my new life in the Student Village at the University of Wales Swansea.

I was one of 75 American students who arrived in Wales about 2 weeks before the semester began to take a British Politics and Culture pre-sessional course. This helped me adapt to the culture as well as learn some of the country’s history. Part of the pre-sessional course included numerous field trips. In fact only a few days after I arrived in Swansea we took a field trip to the Gower, a stretch of land 20 miles long by 6 miles wide with some of the most breath taking cliffs I have ever seen. The university’s entertainment office also sponsored trips. One such trip that I got to go on went to Paris two nights B&B for about $110.

This is only the tip of the iceberg for my traveling. Before I came to Wales one of my German friends and I went on a two-week trek across the continent, including Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, and London. After classes started I traveled almost every weekend, and studied on the train. One day I would be riding a train up to north Wales, the next climbing Mt. Snowdon and two weeks later be walking the streets of Dublin.

When I wasn’t traveling around Europe I spent my time in Swansea and at the University. Both the University and Swansea have their special points. Swansea is a beautiful city on a bay in South Wales. The University has hundreds of opportunities to get involved in student life. I got involved by joining a Visual Arts Society. Students from all over the world study at Swansea and I can think of a friend that I had from virtually every major country in Europe.

I would be wrong to write this testimonial without saying something about how utterly brilliant and kind the Welsh people are. I was welcomed in with open arms and particularly after Sept. 11th, received so much support. About half way into the semester my parents flew over for a month long visit. We were in Canterbury on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11th, (our Veteran’s Day). One morning while walking in a square by the Cathedral we had the pleasure to stumble upon a wreath laying to remember those who died. After the wreath laying there was a procession into the Cathedral for a commemorative ceremony. The guest speaker at the service was a Colonel in the British military who spoke about his feelings about war in general as well as the current conflict. We were so impressed by the honor that they gave to all the people that served to bring peace to Britain as well as how firm their stance is with the US. It was so moving that my parents asked him to send us a copy, and he did.

My birthday fell on the last week that I was in Wales. My housemates threw me a fantastic birthday party where we exchanged Secret Santa gifts and played games. My big gift from my housemates was a book with pictures of our time together, a book that I still cherish to this day. That night we went out and I sang karaoke. I’ll never forget Swansea, or all of my mates in Wales.

Iowa State has so many opportunities to study abroad and I think that taking this opportunity has had such a positive impact on my life. I would highly encourage anyone to go to Swansea or anywhere else in the world they are interested in. It is the opportunity of a lifetime! I came home from Wales with 15 credits that count toward graduation but I also came home with experiences that will stay with me for a lifetime.