Haworth – Stuff & Things with Toria

Before studying aboard, I was told that this opportunity would be one of my most life-changing, and that I would discover so many new things about myself and the world around me. After studying aboard, I can confidently say that this wasn’t true, at least not for me.

Saying this, I don’t mean that my time in London was a bad experience or that I didn’t benefit or learn from it in anyway, quite the opposite. I had an amazing time and learned so much; however, this trip for me wasn’t “life-changing”, and I didn’t really learn anything about myself and others that I didn’t already know. I was a little worried at first that my study aboard experience was mediocre or not fulfilling because I wasn’t having these fundamental epiphanies. However, I realized that the reason this wasn’t happening for me is because I was in a fairly privileged position to have “known myself” before this trip. For a long time, I’ve known who I am, what I want, where I’m going, and how I fit into this world. I realize most people my age can’t say that and that’s why studying abroad is so transformative for them. Trips like these are where individuals learn things that I already learned a while ago. So…no studying aboard wasn’t “life-changing” for me – at least not that I can immediately see – but it did solidify several things for me.

During many excursions with my classmates, there were some very physical demanding moments in which I could not keep up them. At one point, I found myself hiking alone on the moors of Haworth for five miles. If I hadn’t known previously that I feel more comfortable in silent moments or that I prefer to go through some hardships alone, always being left behind or excluded might have had a damaging mental impact for me. However, those solitary moments just reaffirmed that I don’t mind being by myself – and that I might, at times, prefer being alone. It also solidified that while people may start the journey with me or aid me in getting there, it’s ultimately up to me to finish it. At any moment, I had the choice of stopping and turning around, of being discouraged that I was much further behind my peers. But I know myself. I know that I will accomplish anything that I say I can, and that my best work is what I do myself, at my own pace. We might have gotten there at different times, but both myself and my classmates were able to see Bronte Falls. They got to enjoy conversation and company, while I (semi) leisurely strolled through the moors, enjoying the scenery, and listening to Lizzo and Miguel.

So, my study abroad experience didn’t completely open a new viewpoint for me, but it did clarify some I already had. And I really loved exploring the Gothic form throughout the course. One of my life goals is to ingest as much and as many literary forms as possible in order to best help other writers, so, any opportunity I have to study a genre is already a plus for me. Add to that interesting texts, an engaged classroom, and a professor who is obviously very passionate about the subject matter, and what comes out is an excellent/memorable educational experience. My time in London may not have lived up to other’s expectations, but it far exceeded my own.

I want to be honest. For a large majority of my trip in Haworth and on the moors, I was more concerned with my own physical well-being than the actual scenery. The Bronte Parsonage Museum sits on top of a very, VERY steep hill. I was too busy questioning my life and cursing the architects to really enjoy it. However, once at the top of the hill, my modern pains began to fade away, and I found myself sinking into a Bronte novel. A similar phenomenon happened as I made my way to the Bronte Falls. The 2 ½ mile hike (largely uphill) to the falls can pull an individual from the outside and draw their attention on themselves. However, when the moors leveled out the atmospheric influence prevailed against me.

The presence and/or influence of nature is common thread throughout all of the Bronte’s publications, and in walking the paths that they did, it is easy to see why. Standing on the moors, with nothing but the sky, the earth, and yourself…that experience can foster quite an imaginative spirit.

I feel that while the moors and Haworth brought me closer to the Brontës, the Bronte Parsonage Museum may have taken me farther away. I don’t say this because the Parsonage is a bad institution or because I had a bad time. In actuality, I had an amazing time; however, the setup of the Parsonage took away from the personal aspect of the home. Earlier, in the month, I visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum. That felt like more of a real home to me than the parsonage. In the Holmes museum, a guide is dressed in the attire of that time and informs the “guests” about certain aspects of the home. While most of the artifacts are laid so as not to be touched, they are laid as if they had previously been in use. This combined with the narrative aspect paints a better picture of Sherlock Holmes for me, making me feel “closer” to him. However, the Parsonage is laid out like a museum, with all of the real personal artifacts placed behind glass cases alongside some text with information. This setup allows for me to be more knowledgeable about the Brontes, but I don’t feel “closer”, and I find it hard seeing them as people and not just names.

Tag: Haworth

After Studying Abroad

My Time on the Moors