Maggie Langborgh is a sophomore majoring in psychology at Christopher Newport University. She has spent the semester studying abroad in Scotland at the University of Glasgow. Langborgh wanted to study abroad for the opportunity to live in a different country for an extended period of time. However, she also expressed some hesitations through the decision making process.
“Leaving my friends for a semester and also RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) was difficult, because I had found so much community and fulfillment through worshiping Christ with the wonderful people that I had met through it,” she said.
As her community is an important aspect to her, Langborgh then shared how she found comfort and community within Glasgow.
“At my church in Glasgow, members of the congregation frequently invite me to their homes for an afternoon of lunch and fellowship, and they have filled my heart and soul with good food, stories and tea times,” she said.
This strong church and community connection has been a focal point of Langborgh’s study abroad experience. She knows most of the congregation by name, and they all call her “Maggie the American girl.”
“I now believe home is wherever you make it. ‘Home’ does not mean a physical house, [but rather] a place where I can share laughter, love and kindness with a community that cares,” she said.
Langborgh is grateful for her new mindset of what home means, which she will embrace as she adjusts to life back in Virginia and as a CNU student. However, Langborgh also reflects on unique experiences while studying abroad in Europe.
“At CNU, you would never be able to spontaneously travel to a place like Lucerne, Switzerland for a casual weekend trip,” she said.
Langborgh traveled to Lucerne with her flatmate by train. She explored the city, went on a river cruise, ate cheese fondue, strolled through a farmers’ market, rode a cable car to the top of Mount Pilatus and admired the beauty of Lake Lucerne.
“I love the spontaneity that studying abroad for a semester allows,” she said.
