Out and abroad in London

What does it mean to be out and abroad? In this Pride Month special, Jeanine Martinez, a Northern Arizona University alumna, and Walker Dalton, a graduate of Appalachian State University, join Dr. Jeremy Doughty to talk queer identity, London life, and finding your people. From drag queen alter egos to dating tea, this episode is a celebration of growth, community, and showing up as your authentic self. 

Have an idea for a future episode? Email us at podcast@usac.edu.
Just want to learn more about study abroad? Email studyabroad@usac.edu for all the details!

Transcript

Charles Petranek: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to THE Study Abroad Pod in celebration of Pride Month. This episode explores leaning into whoever you are while being abroad. Host Dr. Jeremy Doughty is joined by USAC London Alumni Walker and Jeanine, who will share candid reflections on embracing their queer identities and finding joy while taking classes overseas.

Jeremy Doughty: Hi everybody, and welcome to this special pride month episode of the USAC Podcast. I'm Dr. Jeremy Doughty and I'm thrilled to be your host today. I had the joy of directing USAC's study abroad programs in England for several years, and today I'm joined by two of my favorite human beings. We've got Jeanine and Walker. This episode is all about queer joy, identity, and discovery abroad. So Jeanine, can you introduce yourself with your name, where you went to undergrad, when you studied abroad, [00:01:00] and one of your favorite British snacks?

Jeanine Martinez: Yes. Hello everyone. I am Jeanine Martinez. I originally came from Northern Arizona University during my undergrad, and I decided I really wanted to study abroad, so I picked USAC to help me through that journey and never looked back. Absolutely amazing opportunity. One of my favorite British snacks had to have been Coke Zero with lime. I've only ever seen it there. I have not found it in the United States since then, and it makes me so sad. And Knoops, which they make like chocolate, chocolate shakes and I think about those all the time 'cause I love chocolate.

Jeremy Doughty: Coke Zero with lime sounds very refreshing for the summer months. And Walker, what about you?

Walker Dalton: Hello everybody. My name is Walker Dalton. I am originally from San Antonio, Texas, and I went to undergrad at Appalachian State University in [00:02:00] North Carolina, and I studied abroad between September, 2021 through June, 2022. And my favorite British snack probably has to be jaffa cakes. My French flatmate at the time would always judge me for eating them because he always thought that the artificial orange flavor of the cakes were pretty bad. But it was quite fun being able to say that I was eating something called a jaffa cake. I hadn't heard of them before, and they're pretty tasty.

Jeremy Doughty: Alright, well, I'm curious, what made you decide to study abroad in London with USAC?

Walker Dalton: So I had always planned to study abroad because it was part of my curriculum with my undergrad degree in Global Studies, but I had an internship lined up at the time with the State Department. I decided upon London because it just made the most sense, I believe, with this [00:03:00] internship. Unfortunately, the internship fell through during COVID and I decided, you know what? I'm still going to London. And it was, it was an amazing opportunity.

Jeanine Martinez: I remember getting ready May, 2023 for the whole month of June that I'd be in London, and I just kept thinking about all the food I was going to try. I especially love like Ethiopian food, and I've only ever had Ethiopian food in Washington DC and there's not a lot in Arizona, if hardly any. And same thing in California where I'm originally from. So all I kept thinking about was like, I'm gonna try a bunch of like different African cuisine. I'm gonna try like the, you know, typical UK breakfast, all those things. So food was on my mind. That was my priority. My money was spent on food.

Jeremy Doughty: It's hard not to have food on your mind when you're in London. One in [00:04:00] every four Londoners was actually born outside of the United Kingdom, and that's really reflected in the city's food. You have everything from A to Z, from food, from Afghanistan, all the way through food from Zambia. Now I'm really curious to know what's something that made you really nervous before you departed that kind of makes you laugh now?

Jeanine Martinez: Well, as a woman of color and as a woman with curly hair, I was so worried about the, the rain and the humidity affecting my curls just because my, like my natural curls fall flat when it rains and I get like, really stringy hair and it doesn't look nice.

So I was just like, oh, I'm gonna look awful on all of my pictures, or I'm not gonna know how to like tape my frizz. So I was really concerned about that. 'cause I feel like hair is a huge part of my identity in terms of like how I present myself and like how I show up. It's what makes me feel really confident when I enter spaces, 'cause I [00:05:00] have pretty rocking hair and I think that's one of the first thing that people notice about me. It's like, oh, she has curly hair and it's so nice. Like, thank you. So I was worried about just managing that piece. But actually that's like. At the time, I look back at the most and I'm like, wow, my hair looked amazing. The humidity did wonders. So always trying to replicate that as much as I can.

Jeremy Doughty: You did. You did, and I recall that because you were one of our social media brand ambassadors and you laid with your hair throughout the entire summer. Yeah.

Jeanine Martinez: Thank you so much. I was so proud of that hair. I was like, wow, I look amazing.

Jeremy Doughty: Walker, what about you?

Walker Dalton: So growing up in San Antonio, specifically on the outskirts of San Antonio, I have never lived in a major city like London before, and I always felt more comfortable identifying sort of with that country lifestyle. And I thought, oh my God, what am I going to do in London? How am I going to fit in?

And one of the first things I noticed in [00:06:00] London was that nobody was saying hello to each other on the side of the streets. Everyone just kept walking and kept to themselves, and that's the exact opposite of what I'm used to growing up in Texas. And now I think I laugh at that because living now in Washington, DC I, I keep to myself, I get from point A to point B without saying a word to anybody, and I feel like I fit in pretty well, just almost second nature now.

Jeremy Doughty: Two questions for each of you about packing. What's one thing that you packed and never used? And then also what's one thing that you packed and used all the time?

Jeanine Martinez: I feel that the thing that I used all the time were my trainers. These like just some like old pair of like running shoes that I kind of had. They looked pretty nice and I was like, oh, I could dress 'em up, dress 'em down. So they were pretty like. Versatile in that way, [00:07:00] which I'm super thankful for. 'cause I wore them practically every day and I was walking about 15 K steps, like on average. I love looking back at that June, that's the most I walked. And then the thing that I think I didn't use at all, I think like back to my hair, I brought like so much like sealant type things to try to keep the humidity out. And then at some point I was like, this is one too many steps for me. I'm a simple girly, and again. The best my hair has ever looked.

Jeremy Doughty: Yeah. I don't know if YouTube haven't seen those TikTok videos about people who do like 500 to 1000 steps a day in the US but when they study abroad, they do like 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day just because there's so much to see, especially in cities like London.

Walker Dalton: I think that's a great question because when you asked that question, I was trying to think about what's something I. I never used, but I know I can answer the other part, and so I brought [00:08:00] a Nalgene. Just a nice, simple, sturdy water bottle. I had to carry that everywhere with me on the university. Even outside of the university as well, just when I'm traveling, maybe because I always went to the British Library, but I always had that water bottle with me.

Jeremy Doughty: I love that. Now, before we jump into some of our questions about queer identity, I want to ask the two of you what you've been up to since studying abroad. So Walker, tell us a little bit more about your journey after spending the whole academic year in London.

Walker Dalton: So right after I studied abroad in London, I came home for Texas for a few months and immediately got packing once again to go to Washington, DC for a graduate program at Georgetown University in conflict resolution. I finished up that program about in a year and a half, and then nine months later I had a job working within the federal government. Unfortunately, I no longer have a job working with the federal [00:09:00] government. That's okay. And I, I am currently working on applying for PhD programs in political science.

Jeremy Doughty: It sounds like you've been on quite a journey. I've always been a firm believer that crisis births opportunity, so perhaps losing your job is actually a blessing in disguise and it will push you in a new direction and perhaps a more exciting direction too.

Walker Dalton: Thank you. While I wasn't working, I was actively involved with the queer community in DC and putting together a big archival history exhibit on the history of pride in DC from 1965 through today, though while the job was a little boring, I did have a gay job and it has been quite fulfilling.

Jeremy Doughty: Well I'm excited to hear what comes next for you, Walker. Jeanine, what about you? 

Jeanine Martinez: Yeah, so that summer, right after June, I was a rising senior at that [00:10:00] point and my undergrad was in secondary education, English. And I realized after studying abroad, I was like, I wanna do something different other than teaching something still educational, but like, what is that? So I decided to go into a master's program. Currently I'm at NAU, flagstaff and I'm working on my master's degree in rhetoric writing and digital media studies because I love the way people talk. I love the way that people write. It's just so unique to the person. And I also love digital media. I was like, oh, I love Instagram posts.

Like, this is fantastic. So that's what I'm currently working on. That's what I'm studying right now, working on my master's degree because I valued so much. Just being in London, taking photos. I've always loved photography. I've just always loved engaging with people in like different like areas of community. So I'm excited for my program just because I know that the future is gonna look different for me. Something that aligns with how I felt when I was in London. [00:11:00] 

Jeremy Doughty: Well, let's jump into the discussion about queer identity, queer joy. You know, for a lot of queer students, the idea of studying abroad doesn't always feel obvious, and that's part of the reason why we want to do today's episode.

Is to show that our stories do indeed belong here. So for those students who are listening, if you're wondering about queer life in a specific USAC study abroad destination, or if you just want to talk through your concerns, just know that the USAC advising team is super open to those conversations. First of all, I'm curious to know, in what ways did studying abroad affect your sense of queer identity? 

Jeanine Martinez: Well, I remember that summer to spill a little bit of tea. I was going through a breakup, had just like broken up the month before and I just remember thinking like, what am I doing with my life? I have no idea and I'm about to go [00:12:00] abroad.

Like I can't be sad abroad. So I remember specifically thinking about like who I was as a person and like there's so many like, layers to that, right? Like I am a woman of color. I'm Mexican, Puerto Rican, and American of course, and I am bisexual. So I kept thinking, well, it's June and it's pride month. I'm gonna live it up and I'm gonna have a great time.

And I think that going into like London, entering that space, being in shortage especially, I just remember thinking like, oh, like there's, everyone's just so kind and everyone's just flaunting their colors and who they like are who they were. I felt really at home in that sense because I was like, wow, like I don't feel the need to have to mask in any way or like find like, like, oh, like who did you break up with?

Or like, what? Like who are you looking for? What are you looking for? I'm like, I'm just here to like, have a good time, connect with people no matter what that looks like. I'm felt very willing to just share all [00:13:00] that part of me. I didn't hold back anything like, yeah, I'm bi like I'm queer and I'm like having a great time in this space. So I, I really valued that part that I didn't have to hide anything and everyone where I was staying and my accommodation was also just the most lovely people ever. So I felt really at home. 

Jeremy Doughty: Yeah. If there's one adjective that I think of when I hear the word London, it's inclusive. I remember telling students when they arrived.

You can be whoever you want to be in this city because it's such a multicultural city and because it's such a large urban center that really gives you the freedom to be who you want to be. 

Walker Dalton: At the time, I thought I had come out a long time ago, but it was only about three, four years ago. I'd come out in high school in 2016 as bi, and by the time I got to undergrad.

I was still trying to explore my identity in many ways, and I went to school in a smaller [00:14:00] goal off in the mountains coming out of COVID in Texas and going into London. I thought similar to what you had said, like this is, this is an opportunity for me to try and rewrite myself, and I had never put myself out there before just in terms of, maybe going on dates, just meeting new people, connecting with people from all over the world. And for the first time, I did feel there was a lot of culture shock because I did feel like an American abroad. I felt I was a little nervous at first, and I think that nervousness and that sort of apprehension being surrounded by people from all over the world really pushed me to, embrace my queer identity more. 

And that was the first time that I really [00:15:00] felt comfortable trying to be out there and ask myself constantly, well, what does it mean to be out? How am I going to dress? How am I going to talk? How am I going to walk? And it, it was great. It was a beautiful, chaotic mess, and it was just the journey of self-exploration and discovery and I, I look back to those moments and think, who was that person?

But that's really where I found my security. I felt more, I feel more secure having been abroad in London with my queer identity. It was exciting. London was, London was beautiful.

Jeremy Doughty: For you Walker, I think about the person who arrived in September at the very beginning of the fall semester, and then I think about the person who's left the [00:16:00] UK what, nine months later in June.

And from my perspective, these are two very different people. I think by the end of your time in the UK you were really embracing your queer identity and you just became more comfortable. With who you were. And that for me is always really exciting to see. 

Jeanine Martinez: I would say that my queer identity, the way that I've like viewed it, I think previously, and especially before going to London, was that I had all these identities figured out.

I was like, yeah, I'm Mexican and in Puerto Rican and this, and I, I feel like that was like really nicely sandwiched. Like, and, and, and, and I added that up really nice. And then almost at like the tail end, I'm like, and being queer, because I've always kind of kept that like either to myself or just like, as like, oh, like, yeah, like that's definitely something, a part of my life.

And I don't think it was like necessarily like shame, but it was [00:17:00] definitely something that I, I didn't know how to prioritize because like my family, like being like Hispanic, like it wasn't like... for my family, I'm very thankful. It wasn't necessarily like taboo, but it was definitely something like, oh, like we don't really know.

So like it's an awkward, like it's almost like an awkward hug, like we support you and what does that mean though? What does support even look like? And I think that that summer I was able to explore a lot like myself with like all those identities being an American abroad, right? And I know that Walker said that and I was like, oh my gosh, definitely felt that. Then I was able to explore being queer, I think just a little bit more than I had previously, ever. And I think in part of that was that perfect timing, it was June. And on top of that, I just had a lot of time to just like walk around the city, see a lot of people, see a lot of the communities, and engage with them in a way [00:18:00] that allowed me to just like blossom and learn how to incorporate that.

Really nicely into like who I was. So that was just like, like a missing key in my life. I felt like after that, after getting like a bunch of confidence from like after London, I remember like diving headfirst into being like, I'm gonna be so intentional now from this point forward, just making sure that all of me is represented equally as much as I can, and that they're all getting the care and love that they like deserve.

So that's something that I like focused on. I remember my last year of my undergrad and even now my master's program, like my, one of my goals is to support like queer students and especially queer students of color, just because they're an underrepresented community in so many fields, in so many like different roles in just their life. So that's like my goal. It's something that I hold near and dear to my heart.

Walker Dalton: So I wanted to say that you mentioned the word shame. That's something [00:19:00] that I've been thinking a lot about lately actually, is because growing up in a small town in Texas, I never really learned much about the queer community, and so by the time that I recognized that I was starting to maybe feel a little different from my peers, but I didn't quite understand why.

I was also very involved in the church, my family would want to go every Sunday if they could, and I'd say Thanksgiving or Christmas time or Easter, we would always say prayers. So religion was always a big connection with me. But there was this sort of, um, a sense of shame because I didn't quite understand how to fit into my own, within my identity and it

it wasn't until going to London that [00:20:00] I thought, oh, well, I am completely separate and on my own now, and I am away from my parents. I have this part of my identity that I didn't really feel connected to. It felt like I was wearing a pair of shoes that were too big for my feet, and that was just an opportunity for me .

Because it was just me. My family wasn't there. And I will have to say that my family has been supportive and I have been grateful for that. But that lack of communication from the beginning was difficult initially. But being able to just be surrounded and make all those new friends and just see so many other people that were out and queer, I thought, okay, well if they can be out and queer, then I can as well.

And I learned how to define that for myself in London. And just really blossomed into my own person after those nine months abroad. 

Jeremy Doughty: Yeah, [00:21:00] those remarks really resonate with me. I'm originally from a small farming community in, in Wisconsin there was not a queer community.As I navigated through school, there was nobody in my immediate, or my extended family who identify queer.

So really one of the first experiences where I felt I could actually get a taste of that flavor was when I studied abroad. And you know, I love study abroad so much that I turned it into a career. But again, I think that that points to the really powerful potential of a study abroad experience to help us better understand who we are and who we want to be in the future.

Okay. Let's talk a little bit about queer joy. Is there a particular moment in London that comes to mind because you really felt like it made you feel like your, your true, authentic self? 

Jeanine Martinez: Yes, I [00:22:00] remember. My best friend and I, I'm very fortunate enough that we were able to travel together for the USAC program, so I always love that. My bestie Alexis. And I remember her and I bought tickets to a Harry Styles concert at Wembley Stadium, and I remember both of us getting ready in the, like our shared like space in like the kitchen, our accommodation.

Then all the girls who shared our like apartment space came out and they were like helping us get ready. And I think that being in community with like there is these two Australian girls that we've made friends with, love them so much, we still talk to this day and them helping me like one of my makeup and telling me how beautiful I was and like.

It was just really reassuring. Oh, I feel really confident. 'cause I was nervous. Is my outfit like, is this appropriate for the tube? And they were like, well, you are an American, so dress [00:23:00] like an American. And I was like, you're so right. Yes. Yes. So went with that. And I remember that moment in London because when we were on the tube, there was just like so many people, like obviously going to the same place as us and

we're like all together, we like really connected in that way. So I think that that part lives in my head the most because like we were helping people take pictures. They were taking pictures of us and just that part of like us having like this space, it just felt really nice and everyone was just so like nice to us and being like, where are you from?

Like, are you so excited to be here? And I was like, of course I am. Like, I'm so thankful. So I think of that moment a lot just because I felt like just that. Being with people was just, it was really reassuring with like who I was. 

Jeremy Doughty: Absolutely. It's a moment of joy, of celebration, of positivity, of community, and that's such a great story. Thanks for sharing. 

Walker Dalton: So I connected a lot with my flatmates [00:24:00] and there was two of my fly mason in particular that I connected with and two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. And. I think, well, all of my flatmates in particular, but with my German flatmate, I really felt as if I had almost like I had a brother abroad and so I got to really connect with him, and I have never really fit in with feeling very masculine or feeling very feminine.

I always thought it doesn't really matter. However I feel in the moment is however I feel. But with him it was fun to sort of feel like a bro. We watched football. We had gone to a couple football matches during Christmas time. We actually went to the darts semi-finals championship. So I got to do all of these things that I had never really connected with before and my undergrad previously, especially then during COVID there [00:25:00] just wasn't anybody that I could really talk with until then.

And then I also had a Norwegian flat mate and very opposite of that. We would go thrift shopping and maybe talk about the pretty guys that we had seen. And it was just very refreshing to feel very comfortable going in and out of these spaces. During Halloween,

my German flatmate, I had told him before Halloween, you know what, if you get me a maid outfit, I'll wear it. And not only did he get it for me, but I was surprised that it actually fit me perfectly. So I was quite impressed for a couple of reasons and just being surrounded by them, by all of my flatmates, which I have to also plug in to say that all of the, all of the Americans that I lived with that fall, all of us were queer, which I thought was quite, quite funny that the Europeans were straight, but the Americans, nope, [00:26:00] they were not.

But just being able to be so fluid with how I express myself and learn more about my identity by living with them was, was quite great. So similar to Jeanine, a lot of that came down to clothes, going thrift shopping in London, shortage especially there's, there's just so much to explore.

Jeremy Doughty: I certainly remember a picture you showed me, Walker, of you in the maid outfit, that's something that, oh, yes. I won't, I won't forget. 

Walker Dalton: She did my, one of my flat mates did my makeup, and I looked quite glamorous. Full beard and beautiful glam face. Veryandrogynous.

Jeremy Doughty: I love it. Yeah. I love, I just love that you fully embraced your, your identity in that moment. That's, that's a great story of queer joy, Walker. Thank you. Uh, kind of along this same question, were there any queer spaces or [00:27:00] queer events that the two of you explored during your time in London? 

Walker Dalton: There were, I, I wasn't there for pride unfortunately, but

I believe that the university was a big setting as well because I was able to, like, there were lots of people in my classes that were queer and even as I might have been, the only one, just being able to feel more secure in that was also important. I had not, I have not been used to seeing so many prize flags everywhere in the city and there was a bookstore, actually that was one of my favorite queer places.

It was called Gay is the Word. It's been around since before the 1980s, and I definitely spent a lot of pounds there and it was, it was just so refreshing to, to enter that space because of course I felt a little apprehensive at first. I had not [00:28:00] put myself out there in a way where I just went to a fully queer bookstore and I thought, well, I can't hide.

Because why else would I be in this bookstore? And it, it was great. I really enjoyed just being able to look at all of the books and say, oh, 'Red, White, or Royal Blue', I'm in London. I think I should read this. And it, it was great. That was probably my favorite place. My favorite queer spot in London was Gay is the word bookstore.

Jeremy Doughty: Thank you so much for keeping that very pg. I know some of the stories that you told me went on the other end of the spectrum, so I applaud you for mentioning the bookstore rather than your nights out.

Alright, Jeanine, let's turn it over to you. 

Jeanine Martinez: Yeah, I remember that month, since it's only a month, it was pretty jam packed. So [00:29:00] when we did have time just to kind of explore, we would try to shove as much as possible into that like one day. But I do remember when we were trying to figure out like, well, where do we wanna go and what do we wanna see?

And I think as someone very similar to both of you, I grew up in a smallish town in California, in the middle of nowhere in the desert, and. We didn't have a space for anything like that. It would be like pride month and then you would see like maybe one neighbor's flag, like out, and then it would be gone like as soon as like the month was over.

So being in London, it was only, that's only every, like the second time in my life that I've been in a city, especially a city as huge as that one, and living there so long. So I think for me, like being in like a queer space was definitely just like in those, the real inner city of London. [00:30:00] Going on the tube with people and seeing the decor and like the amount of pride that people had and the city itself.

Just like, yeah, like we're here for our queer community. Everyone, whether you're visiting or if you're just like a permanent resident of the city and whatnot. I absolutely loved that. So I thought that was amazing and kind of like a shock to me, 'cause I was like, wow. Like I've never seen so much rainbow in my life and that was beautiful.

Jeremy Doughty: Yeah. The amazing thing about London is that you get it from so many different angles, right? So Walker you where you referenced going to a gay bookstore, Jeanine, you mentioned different shops or cafes where you saw pride flags, but there's also gay sport teams. Of course, there's the pride event, but there's gay or queer oriented music festivals.

I, so I think, you know, wherever you land on the LGBTQ + spectrum, there's gonna be some things for you, which I [00:31:00] think is one of the really nice perks about studying in a big city like London.

All right, I want you to spill the tea, but just a little bit. Did you date any locals during your year in London? 

Walker Dalton: Uh, I did actually. A lot of the people, as you had said before, were not originally from London. I, I did go on a couple of dates. It didn't last more than a date, but it was a date. 

Jeremy Doughty: Yeah. Yeah. It's nice to kind of dip your, dip your toes in the water and Jeanine, what about you? 

Jeanine Martinez: Yeah, I went, I remember one date and that was like really nice and I was like, well, this is like so much fun just exploring and finding places that like I didn't know about, but because they themselves were local.

They were like, I'll show you here, I'll show you here. Where do you wanna go? And I was like, oh my gosh, everywhere. And I do remember having like gay panic a little bit during, I remember one time we were just like out for like evening dinner [00:32:00] and I kept making eye contact with this girl and I was like, oh, it's so hard to know if someone's like into or not.

But I just remember like sitting there like waiting for food. Like, just like sweating. I was like, do I make the move? I'm like, no, I can't. I was like, what if they're just looking over here? And, but that was like. I think that was like funny. I did end up speaking to her. That was really nice. 

Jeremy Doughty: Oh, Jeanine, we've all been there. Oh yeah. Alright, so I thought a, a fun way to kind of wrap up the podcast is to do this quick fire where I just have some really short questions for you and you can kind of rapidly respond with some of the, the answers that initially come to your mind. Alright, so the first one, favorite spot in London? 

Jeanine Martinez: Camden Market.

Walker Dalton: The British library. 

Jeremy Doughty: If your time abroad were a drag king or queen name, what would it be?

Jeanine Martinez: Star fire.

Walker Dalton: [00:33:00] I don't know. Probably like hot and ready, like takeout. 

Jeremy Doughty: Okay. Let's do an era check. What era were you living in when you were studying abroad in London? 

Jeanine Martinez: Reputation. 

Walker Dalton: Discovery. 

Jeremy Doughty: What's one thing every study abroad student should pack? 

Jeanine Martinez: A good pair of trainers. 

Walker Dalton: A reusable water bottle and bring it everywhere.

Jeremy Doughty: What's one thing you miss about London? 

Jeanine Martinez: Community.

Walker Dalton: The people. Just the whole atmosphere. 

Jeremy Doughty: And finally finish this sentence. Thanks to my USAC study abroad experience, I am... 

Jeanine Martinez: A more confident and reliable person.

Walker Dalton: I am, I'm more secure. I'm more in touch with who I am. 

Jeremy Doughty: And finally, finish this sentence, to our listeners, you should study abroad because... [00:34:00] 

Jeanine Martinez: You should study abroad because it's an experience that can change your life for the better. 

Jeremy Doughty: That was perfect. I'm so happy with how that went. Alright. Is there anything that the two of you want to add that maybe you didn't get a chance to, anything on on your mind that you want to share?

Jeanine Martinez: Yeah. I actually have, in my current role, I'm a graduate assistant at NAUI work, I campus living. So I work like in the dorms. And I have students all the time who are like, they're just like talking to me in my office. They're in trouble, or they're like concerned about something. And I have pictures of my time sitting abroad, like right behind me in my office and they're like, oh my gosh, where did you go?

Like, how was it? And they're like, oh, I can never do that. And I'm like. I immediately like put my hands on the table, like all the time, and I'm like, yes, you a hundred percent can. You could go here. You could go there. And those cities will always be there for you to explore no matter like [00:35:00] how old you are, how young you are, wherever you are in your life.

Like it's always gonna be there and it's always gonna be like a transformational experience. 

Jeremy Doughty: I love hearing about that. We want to help you grow and flourish and have magical careers after you're done studying abroad with USAC. The two of you are the future, and you're going to be the people shaping the minds of the next generation and reminding them how impactful a study abroad experience could, can be. So again, you're the two of you are just superstars. 

Charles Petranek: Thank you for listening to the Study Abroad Pod, a podcast brought to you by the University Studies Abroad Consortium. Please listen, subscribe and review us on Buzz Sprout or wherever you get your podcast. You can follow USAC on all your favorite social media channels via @studyabroadusac. And if you have an idea for a future episode or want to learn more about Study Abroad, you can email us at [00:36:00] Studyabroad@USAC.edu.