Mark Carnochan – Film & Media – Level 3
California State University: Chico, USA
It is easy to see why many residents of the United States of America share the unwavering belief that they live in the greatest country in the world. It is a very hypnotic place, one that will too have you considering that, for better or worse, they may have a point. In spite of some of the larger issues within the country and the lack of conversation surrounding them, there is a lot to love about America.
Or… at least about California, where I was. And Las Vegas, where I visited. As for everywhere else I really couldn’t confirm nor deny how good or bad they are. However, I am sure there are some nice places.
Since I was very young I had always wanted to visit America. Growing up as a kid my best friend would regularly visit the states with his family. Always Florida. They had Disneyland there. Upon returning home he would regale me with tales of Mountain Dew, the Back to the Future ride and movies released far earlier than their eventual UK release. Who wouldn’t want to go there!? More so, America was home to the movies I grew up on. I just had to go.
Finally, at the age of 24, having never left the UK other than a High School trip to France and Belgium, I was flying to California. Not only was I visiting California but I was going to live there for six months!
The journey to that point was a long one, taking a whole year due to COVID making my first semester impossible, then my second semester being briefly stalled by troubles with my VISA which then left me uncertain of my future until the week before I flew over to America.
Honestly, the whole thing never would have been possible if it were not for the funding I received from Santander. There was a reason I had never been to America, nor many other places outside of Britain, my family didn’t have the money. At 24, neither did I. That being said, I was granted enough money from Santander, on top of a small amount I had saved and was gifted from family members, and I was able to afford everything I needed to survive in America for six months.
Living in California, in the small town of Chico, was genuinely one of the best experiences of my life. It is one thing to go on holiday somewhere but it is totally different to live there. A much more in depth and personal experience of the place you are in. Living in America gave me a slice of American life, moreso, a slice of American College life. I had the pleasure of being taught by one of the best lecturers I have ever had, a wonderful film teacher called Joshua Moss, and made some amazing friends (shoutout to Braelen, Kevin, Mary and my roommates Mario, Cassis, Sarah and Justin).
On top of my studies I had the pleasure of visiting some of the greatest cities in the world; San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. All unique in their own right and all wonderful. Los Angeles especially allowed me to just live, eat and breathe movies for a solid two weeks. Visiting world famous movie theatres, seeing some beautiful landmarks and watching some great movies.
One of the best experiences of my life, I could not recommend a semester abroad highly enough. If you are nervous or scared then don’t let it stop you.
