Hello! My name is Katelyn Tuck, and I am a junior linguistics major who is currently studying abroad in Leeds, England. Two of my friends, Kyra and Lucy, and I all came to Leeds to study abroad together. Kyra and Lucy are also bloggers on this website, so be sure to check out their blogs for more information on studying abroad in England!
Kyra lives in my hometown, so we were able to travel to Leeds together which I am so thankful for. Before traveling to Leeds, I did not travel much, and the only time I went on a plane was when I was really young, so I was a little scared to travel alone. I had no idea how to check my bags, go through TSA, or anything like that, so I did some research before I left. Also, Kyra had experience with airports, so she was able to help me and calm down my anxious self. I would definitely recommend researching about traveling before going abroad, and if you ever have the chance to go with friends, I would 100% do it! Having friends with me when I am in a new place is very comforting and fun!
Unfortunately, Kyra was only with me up until we boarded the plane because our seats were far apart from each other. I have a fear of heights and sometimes get motion sickness, so I was definitely not looking forward to the flight and was hoping to have Kyra nearby to cling to, but it did not work out. However, I had an aisle seat and an empty seat between me and the other person on my row, so it was good. I was told that it was hard to get motion sickness on a plane, so I was expecting the flight to be pretty easy and did not take any medicine, but I ended up feeling sick for most of the 8 1/2 hour flight. I had a really bad headache, felt dizzy, and had a hard time sleeping. Thankfully, my flight was a night flight so it was dark and quiet, and I was finally able to fall asleep and start feeling better. Because of this, I would definitely recommend taking medicine before flying or doing something that prevents motion sickness if you are prone to motion sickness like me, and if at all possible, get a night flight so that the flight will be more calm and quiet. Also, most people try to get window seats, but I prefer an aisle seat so that I do not have to crawl over sleeping people to go to the bathroom.
So overall, if anyone is inexperienced like me, I would recommend doing some research about airports and flying, so that you can be prepared for everything. I think traveling will always be a little stressful for me, but being well-informed makes things easier and less stressful.
On my next blog post, I will write about my arrival in London, going through immigration, and my bus ride to Leeds! Thanks for reading!
-Katelyn
