Name: Natalie Orga
Class Year: 2021
Hometown: Bear, Delaware
Global Study Semester: Fall 2019
Program: London/Lancaster, England
Major/Minor: English Major with a concentration in Creative Writing, and a Minor in Studio Art
Activities on Campus: Junior editor of the Mercury magazine (Senior editor in the fall), Special Collections rare books conservation worker, writer for the Gettysburgian, member of Upscale a cappella group, History Club, Poetry Circle, and Education House.
My Story from Global Study: On our final day in London, my friend, Lily, and I decided to have breakfast at a beautiful coffee shop in Soho. It was sunny, so we sat outside, watching the pigeons flit through the trees and discussing what to do on our last day. I was absently scrolling through a webpage of the best tattoo parlors in London, since I’d been curious about what sort of artists were in our area. I saw one parlor in particular that looked lovely, and I mentioned it to Lily. “You mean that one?” she said, pointing across the street. The shop was directly across from us! Right then and there, we decided to get our first tattoos -- I got a sun, and she got a moon. Very simple and cheesy, but it wasn’t so much the design that was important, as the capturing of our time in London together. Afterwards, we went to a historic pub for pints and a whole box of donuts. It was one of the best days I’ve ever had.
My Advice for Future Students: Say yes! To going abroad in the first place, of course, but even more importantly, keep saying it once you’re abroad! Even if the activity or journey doesn’t really seem like something you’d typically do, or it’s a little outside your comfort zone, or maybe you’re even a little nervous about it. Trust yourself to be able to get through it, and more times than not, you’ll discover something wonderful about yourself, the people around you, or the places you’re exploring!