To be completely honest, there’s not a lot of theatre in Small-Town-Newfoundland.  This probably made my decision to study acting even more ridiculous.  Where was I going to find a job?  Yes, summer theatre was plentiful, but what about the rest of the year?  What was I going to do?

I was mostly involved in school productions, but in Junior High I became involved in the community musicals in Corner Brook (a nearby city), which lead to Youth Theatre classes and productions.  Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador were a great resource for me and helped shape my life considerably.

So when it came to university I wanted to study acting.  I could have studied in a place that had actual year-round theatre companies, but I decided to stay in Corner Brook and study at MUN’s SWGC campus.  The kicker for my decision was that in the fourth year of study you go to the Harlow Campus in Harlow, England for 1.5 months.

This would be my second trip to England, and it was a much better experience than my first impression.  When school became tough, I would think of my fourth year and how awesome Harlow was going to be and I would make it through.  I wanted to go somewhere where theatre wasn’t just an ignored extra-curricular.  I wanted to go to a place with history.  I wanted to live abroad.

This is what started my love affair with England and why I still someday hope to live there.  I took the time to get to know the city and explore what I could (when I wasn’t studying/rehearsing/sick).  So while I’m still in defence of “Eurotrips” I also love trips that help integrate you into a place.  After 6 weeks in London I still hadn’t had enough.

Studying abroad is a great way to live somewhere and not have to worry about jobs/apartments/rent/bills/etc. You know, all the “adult” stuff that you worry about now.