“I’m filled with wanderlust and a bad case of FOMO, and traveling seemed to be the best way to cure my curiosities.”
These were the words of Courtney Gibson, junior graphic design major from Dermott, Ark., as she prepared to study abroad.
This zeal for travel sent Gibson to Liverpool, England for the semester. She is enrolled in art classes such as Metals, Ceramics, and Explorations in Art and spends much of her school time researching art for those classes.
“Liverpool is a young city full of vibrant people around the age of typical college students,” Gibson said. “I was surprised by how many people I saw of my age here.”
At night and on the weekends, Gibson enjoys spending time in the city. “The stores here are very student friendly. In other words, the stores will give you a discount if you have your ID.”
Gibson is joined by Natalie Bingaman, Talor Tartaglia, and her flatmate, Sarah Luttrell, though they tend to spend time with different groups.
Gibson has joined the international club, and has come to think of her friends there as family.
“What makes a country is the people. The friends that I made in the international club are what I will miss most once I am back home.”
Even when she spends time traveling solo around Europe, in places like Scotland and Ireland, she feels as if England is her home and her international friends are her family that she misses. 
As far as family back home, Gibson is able to talk to her boyfriend often and Skypes people on Sunday.
“My only goal is to soak up everything before I leave,” Gibson said. She plans to continue traveling, this time in Paris and through Italy, before returning home to her gardening and biking in her own neighborhood.
Gibson would encourage other college students to travel while they can. “Because what better time is there to travel than while we are in college… we already have debt, might as well play with it.”
