Beccy on Tour - My Semester Abroad in Raleigh, NC, USA

Rebecca Schaden 0:10
Hello guys and welcome to my podcast "BeccyOnTour" about my semester abroad in Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States. My name is Beccy, and I am your reliable source into the exciting world of American college life. So if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, stay tuned.

As I promised you in my first episode, one part of this podcast is all about showing you what North Carolina has to offer in terms of traveling destinations and activities. And as I told you last week, this weekend, I was able to get a glimpse of the beautiful landscape of the county. From Friday to Monday, we traveled the Outer Banks, we visited nature resort parks, the beach, sand dunes, and we were even able to gain a deeper understanding of American history. I will also put a link of the locations in the description of this episode so that you guys can better find the destinations I am mentioning in this episode, in case you ever want to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which I heavily recommend.

Friday was take off day. So we took care of the car rental and the booking of the apartment beforehand. But apart from that, we didn't really plan that much and just decided what we thought was worth visiting along the way. We picked up the car at 9am on Friday, and after my bad experience with car renting in Morocco this April, I paid an extra close look to potential damages and took pictures of nearly every spot of the car just to make sure that we wouldn't be held responsible for these upon returning the car. Luckily, though, we didn't run into any problems and had a safe trip. Well, as far as the driving was concerned. Anyway, the car pickup location was a 25 minute drive away from university. So we took an Uber to get there. And it was right next to Walmart, which came in handy as we were able to get some grocery shopping for the trip done right there. Buying food for seven people, though, is bound to be expensive, or at least that's what I thought. But even though we did buy quite a lot of stuff, I only paid about $90 which compared to Austrian supermarkets really isn't that much. Especially considering that I don't normally have to feed seven people. So some friendly advice, guys, if you want to get some really cheap shopping done, go to Walmart's and no, I am not trying to promote them here. But that was just my experience.

After shopping, we picked up the seventh part of the group at Centennial Campus where he had had his Friday morning course, picked up some coffee for the drive and started our roadie adventure. Altogether, it took us about four hours to get to the Outer Banks because we stopped at a gas station and switched drivers in between. And the two Germans in our group took turns with driving. And I'm not trying to be stereotypical. But Germans are really save drivers. Like, I was sitting in the front and I checked the speedometer a couple of times, and they never ever exceeded the speed limit, which especially for me was impressive. I mean, it's not like I wanna speed at least that all the time. Just kidding. But sometimes I'm just not paying close attention to the speedometer and then it just happens but maybe that's just me. Anyway, we then arrived at the Airbnb which was located in Kill Devil Hills in a little village so to speak. And you could see from just looking at these massive houses that the people living there are not on the poor side. And most of them had at least one American flag at their porches and roofs so they really appreciate and celebrate their country and I think that is a great thing. So what do you think guys? Should I put an Austrian flag on the roof when I get home? Well, I'm pretty sure my parents would not be very happy with me if I did that.

It was already pretty late when we arrived so we decided to go to the beach for a bit and then make dinner. You should know that there are countless beaches on the east coast of the Outer Banks which was quite close to our apartment. whilst there are not as many on the West Coast if any. So if you plan on going to the beach a lot, you might want to look for an apartment on the East Coast. The first beach or beach access location we visited was the Admiral St. Beach Access. Don't worry guys, I'm going to provide you with a Maps link in the description of this episode. And oh my god, guys, the waves were high and strong. Like, when we arrived there, first thing I saw was a sign saying that swimming was prohibited. And the lifeguards were really keen on making sure that everyone stuck to that rule. And I didn't really understand what all the fuss was about until I saw the waves myself. And I'm still not sure if it's always like that, or if the hurricane that was supposed to hit North Carolina a few days ago, is responsible for it. But regardless, swimming wasn't really in the cards this weekend. But that was okay, as the Outer Banks have a lot more to offer than just beaches. For example, later that day, we visited Seabreeze pier, where we had an amazing view of the sunset. Those of you who follow me on instagram might have seen it, it was magical, and one of the most beautiful natural phenomenon I've ever witnessed. I think I must have taken hundreds of photos and videos of different states of the sunset, I could probably consider a career in nature photography at that point.

Moving on to day two of our Outer Banks adventure weekend, on Saturday, I got up a little earlier than the rest of the group to go for a run. Also, because I wanted to see a little more of the houses near our apartment. And I honestly love the peaceful atmosphere there and the quiet and I could actually picture myself living there one day surrounded by nature, wildlife, and far off the big city life. So maybe when I make lots of money that's where I'll reside. So listen to this podcast and tell your friends and family and everybody else that might be interested to do so as well, so that I can get rich and afford a vacation house in the Outer Banks. No, just kidding. But it would be nice to live here though.ebAfter breakfast, we took off to visit Jockey's Ridge State Park. And again, I'm gonna put the link to location in the description of this episode. And I have to say that this was probably one of the best destinations of our trip. So if you decide to travel to the Outer Banks, this is a must. There are different hiking trails, you can take that lead to a small hill. And behind that hill, there was a massive sand dune and also a variety of different desert plants. And if you cross the dunes, you'll also have a great view of the sea. Real talk guys, I could have stayed there forever, just relaxing in the sand, listening to the wind and the waves, feeling the sand underneath my feet, and maybe reading a book.

But as I told you at the beginning of this episode, the schedule of this trip was pretty tight. So after staying at Jockey's for about two and a half hours, we took the car to get to Jennette's Pier, which is a fishing pier and a beach at the same time. And they also had a little shop where I bought the shark tooth necklace that you might have seen on my Instagram stories. I know I probably shouldn't buy that much stuff, especially considering that I already exceeded my luggage weight when I came here. But I feel like I just need something tangible to remind me of my semester abroad. So I just can't help myself. I took a bunch of pictures again, one also of a dead fish head, which was really gross. But it's a place for fishermen after all. So that was to be expected. And I was nearly hit by a fishing rod. But apart from that it was a great trip.

Oh, and speaking of near death experiences. Remember I told you about the high waves before? Well, you know me, I think I always know best. So I thought that the big sign "No Swimming" really didn't apply to me. So I walked in deeper and deeper into the water. And of course, I was hit by a really huge, massive wave. And I lost my balance. Not once but twice. And if my friends hadn't pulled me out, I might have had a worse experience than just three mouths full of saltwater and four kilos of sand in my swimming bra and pants, which was really gross. But I guess it's like the saying goes. Those who refuse to obey the rules will have to feel the consequences. So for the rest of the trip, I stayed clear of high waves. So I guess I learned my lesson.

Later that day we also headed to Bodie Island Lighthouse, which was created in the 19th century to help with navigating ships on the dangerous coastline. We did not climb the top as we would have had to pay 10 bucks but the lighthouse, an 80 foot black and white building, is pretty impressive from the outside as well. And there was a short walk we could take to a pier where we had a great few of the Outer Banks and the sea. So it was definitely worth it.

Have I mentioned already that we had a tight schedule? Well, we did. After the lighthouse experience, we rushed home, I could finally take a shower and get rid of all the sand in my hair, which really was a relief. Then we had dinner. And then we headed out to meet another group of exchange students who also decided to use the prolonged weekend for a vacation, for mini-golfing at Lost Treasure Golf, which is a huge family and fun park with numerous different mini golfing tracks. To be honest with you guys, I've never been very good at mini-golfing. And I definitely didn't impress anyone with outstanding mini-golfing skills. But it was fun. So I guess it doesn't really matter whether or not you're good at it. And I remember there was a girl in my group and even though she wasn't performing well, she had a blast. And that kind of impressed me and inspired me not to take everything so seriously. I am not a Master mini golfer. So what? It's literally impossible to be good at everything. But that's okay. And I think I'd benefit from reminding myself of that from time to time.

Sunday was History Day. Why you may ask? Well, we headed out to Manteo, which is a smaller city in the west of the Outer Banks near Roanoke Island where the Lost Colony Museum and Theater is located. Unfortunately, they only have performances from mid June till the end of August. So we kind of lost out on that opportunity. But the museum itself and the presentation of a ranger gave us very interesting insights into the lives of the settlers at Roanoke Island in the 16th century. Apparently, Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who played a big part in the English colonization of North Carolina during the Elizabethan era in the 1600s. Also a piece of history I have never heard of: Roanoke Island was a very popular place to reside because colonists and slaves alike who came there were offered a life in freedom, at least for a while. As it turns out, the British colonists who arrived in North Carolina in 1585, had to leave due to clashes with local inhabitants. And due to unfortunate circumstances, they were not able to return until three years later. Upon their arrival, they realized that the colony had vanished. Thus, the name Lost Colony. So yeah, I know that this isn't the History podcast, and I'm not going to turn it into one. But I thought that story was really interesting. So I just wanted to share it with you guys.

Our next stop was Sandy Run Park, which is a little misleading because we didn't go for a run there, but it actually was more of a walk in nature and being surrounded by all this beautiful wildlife. And I was actually certain that I had arrived at Garden Eden. Definitely check out my Instagram stories and highlights to get a few of the insights of Sandy run Park. I promise you guys, you won't regret it. Sunday afternoon was our second beach day. And thankfully, this time I did not drown. But I was actually able to catch up on some schoolwork and take a scroll on the seaside. Originally, three friends of mine and me had planned on going surfing. But due to the dangerous high waves, the surfing lessons were canceled. That was a bummer. But I'll definitely try out surfing some other time.

And it would not be a perfect trip without a good old shopping experience at a traditional coastal boutique. And I found a really cute sweater with a duck on it. And at first I wasn't sure if I should get it or not. But then I overheard a woman having a conversation with her sister on the phone. And the sister said that it looked embarrassing, and that she would never ever wear it. Which kind of made me feel bad for the duck which was also the main reason I got it. But yeah, well, I'm weird, but we've already established that in the last episode, so it's fine. Oh, my God, this episode is gonna be so much longer than my previous ones. But I hope you guys don't mind. And also I'm almost done.

But I really wanted to mention this last place we went to on Monday, which was the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk. And it's actually the location where the first plane flight took place on December 17th 1903. So you can walk up the hill to see the memorial and at the bottom of the hill, they reconstructed the first plane so to speak. And also there's a small airport at the side of the memorial were helicopters and smaller planes take off and that is something else I definitely have to put on my bucket list. Taking a tour in a helicopter maybe even fly one, we'll see.

And now we've arrived at the end of my monologue about our trip to the Outer Banks. I hope you liked it. And I'm almost certain that there are at least a dozen things I still wanted to tell you guys. And I'm sure as soon as I end this episode, it will come to me, but for now, have a great Wednesday, and I'll talk to you next week.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai