The Liz Kent Experience

I MADE IT!!!! Yep. I made it all the way to Scotland. I flew from Salt Lake to Paris so I could catch my connecting flight to Aberdeen. My seat choice disappeared when Delta had their major computer glitch.  But thankfully I noticed a week before my flight. The flight was fairly uneventful which is always nice.

I got to my flat ready to unpack on Saturday. I got all the suitcases empty and went to find a store to purchase a pillow, and wouldn’t you know it? The shoppes I could get to all closed at 7:30. So I slept on a stuffed animal my niece wanted me to bring. So of course I obliged (and it’s super fluffy). It has made an excellent pillow since I’ve gotten here.

So Saturday came and left and Sunday approached. So I knew what time church started and had an address. So I looked up the bus schedule and thought for sure I knew which bus to take come Sunday morning. I went down to the bus station and looked at the schedules and the bus names at the stop. NOTHING MATCHED! Nothing matched what I had originally looked up the night before. I had no idea what to do! So, I started walking on the route that it said the bus would take me. (I don’t have a data plan at the moment and so there was no hope in pulling up directions.)

I walked FOREVER to get to church. I got there with one
of the meetings over. So I was still able to meet some people. But I did take the bus home so I now think I now what bus to take to church. Time will tell!  I have never been so happy to see the sign welcoming me to church as I was this last Sunday.

For those of you don’t know . . . I’m moving to Scotland! Yes. You read that correctly. I am moving across the pond to the land of my forefathers. A majority of my ancestry is from the United Kingdom and perhaps that is why I’m drawn there.

This has been a decision that has been exciting, terrifying, exhilarating, tiring, unsettling, and a whole myriad of other emotions that I can’t even begin to explain. I had told my family I was looking into potential graduate programs over in the UK but didn’t tell them where really or if I was even going to apply.

I have been applying to a variety of schools in the United States for graduate programs. I was rejected from every single school I had applied for. I was devastated and downtrodden. I felt like going to graduate school was a great decision but I just couldn’t seem to get into any school! I have always kind of struggled with feelings of worthlessness and getting rejected again and again took a toll on me. I just couldn’t figure out where my life was headed.

After I received the last rejection letter, I decided that I would look for a new job. My job has been okay. The trouble is, I’m very good at it. I can help people in a time of crisis which is what happens when you meet with families who have had a death. But it takes an emotional, physical, and a mental toll on you. I just couldn’t do it anymore.

As I was looking for potential jobs to apply for I had a thought; a thought that had occurred probably a year and half ago. That thought was to look for graduate schools in the UK. I hadn’t pursued it because of two things: 1) Way too expensive, 2) I’m not smart enough. But I followed the thought anyway. I did a Google search, “Masters program in folklore in the UK.” And wouldn’t you know it?! The very first result that popped up was the exact program I have been looking for and couldn’t find in any of the graduate programs I had applied for. It was divine intervention!

Now, I found this result just as I was leaving for a business trip to Thailand. I saved the page and decided that I would look into it more when I got back from my trip. I e-mailed the person that the website said to e-mail about questions. And with my luck I was put in contact with the dean of the program! He answered all of my questions and highly encouraged me to apply for the program and assuring me that I’d get in. And wouldn’t you know it . . . I got accepted!

Now that you know what I’m doing with my life, feel free to follow me to the UK by checking my blog. I’m planning on uploading pictures and just my thoughts as I’m over there for a solid year.