Study abroad storyteller: Finding balance in Norwich
The Study Abroad Storytellers program is an opportunity for current study abroad students to share their stories with prospective study abroad students. Though they may come from different backgrounds, colleges, and majors, they all share an enthusiasm to grow academically and personally from this life-changing experience.
In this story, Kate Ross ‘24, an American studies major and journalism minor, writes about her experience abroad in Norwich, United Kingdom.
Not long after I arrived in Norwich, I realized that time moves differently here than back home. Notre Dame is a whirlwind, each moment of the day claimed by tasks and responsibilities, social engagements, and lots of coursework. So far, the biggest thing Norwich has taught me is to slow down.
As I explored my new city, I soon found a new routine. Fewer classes and assignments meant that my typical day might include taking the bus to try a new cafe’s coffee and lemon pound cake, a walk to the grocery store for ingredients to a recipe I wanted to cook that night, or taking some carrots to feed the Shetland ponies that live in the lush green meadow right off campus. But if that sounds like a romanticized version of being abroad, it’s because it is. Truthfully, after a few weeks in Norwich, a new and unexpected pressure settled on my shoulders… What else do I do with all of this time, or even more pressing, am I doing enough?
I discovered that the clock was both freeing and constraining. It gave me more moments to overthink, to second guess, to question if I was wasting this time I’d never get again. It reminded me that I am living in England as a 21-year-old, and that very shortly I would be a senior in college. No matter how slow-going Norwich felt, my life was moving just as quickly as ever. Thinking about this made me question my actions… instead of going to my Monday night ballet class, should I be catching the train to London to chase some adventure? But what I learned was that I could find just as much joy in embracing the slow moments as in the adventurous ones. There was enough room for both.
I started to look at things differently. By taking the pressure off of myself, I was free to enjoy the little things. I could stop to look at the swans sticking their feet up in the air of the campus lake, watch episodes of Love Island with my flatmates, and appreciate the ballet classes that are making me love to dance again. Soon I’ll embark on a monthlong backpacking trip through Europe, where I’ll surely find my fair share of big adventures. But I know that at the end of it, I will want nothing more than to come back to Norwich and all of its little moments of joy.
Learn more about the Study Abroad Storytellers program.