Freed-Hardeman University

After a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FHU Study Abroad two-week tour of romantic England returned with approximately 22 travelers who set off for their great adventure in late May. They left as strangers but returned as good friends. Six FHU students traveled in the group - Josie Gannon, Caroyln Smith, Ashton Rose Duke, Hannah Sprouse, Molly Clemons and Emma Grace Owens - although not all of them are English majors, the students said the trip gave them a greater appreciation for the authors they studied while visiting England. The Romantic England tour is organized by John McLaughlin, who teaches American literature, romantic poetry and prose and renaissance drama. "The trip is set up to complement the course I teach, English literature of the romantic period," he said. "While visiting different sites, we discuss the writers from that period, experience nature and the countryside." McLaughlin's wife, Debbie, also serves as a leader on the Romantic England tour. "We got to do so much - from group activities, free time, and small groups," Debbie McLaughlin said. "What I remember most are the bonds that were created, that's my favorite part." FHU student Molly Clemons, an English and history major, enjoyed her first trip abroad and what she learned about the writers she admires. "I really appreciated being where the writers were and seeing the landscape and understanding what they were seeing," Clemons said. "But the best part of the trip was the people and getting to know them," Clemons said. FHU nursing major Emma Grace Owens agreed with Clemons. "I didn't know anyone but my friends on my trip, but by the end, we were like 'this is family,'" she said. Learning about the authors encouraged Owens to read more of their works. "I've always been about science and math, but learning more about the writers opened my mind." Owens purchased Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" while touring the author's home, now a museum, in Chawton, England. "I planned to spend my summer reading while sitting and looking at things more." In addition to touring, hiking and sightseeing, the group tried to leave no stone unturned during this trip. "We got to do so much - we were able to see a lot all over England," Debbie McLaughlin said. "The goal is to broaden everyone's horizons and see what the rest of the world does and is like. We use public transportation, trains and buses, because it adds to the knowledge gained about the world. That's valuable to young people and benefits everyone." The next Romantic England study abroad trip will take place in 2024.