Dancing men in plaid kilts, mountains full of sheep and plates piled with haggis are what junior Ryan McAloon is used to encountering in Udeingston, Scotland.
“For me, I think the hardest thing about living so far away from home is that the only communication I have with my family and friends is over the phone,” McAloon said. “You have to learn to be okay with being very independent with living so far away from everything.”
With a seven-hour plane ride coming from Caracas, Venezuela, freshman Ricky Palm said he heard about Baker from a family friend.
“It is definitely hard to be away from my family and friends and all the things I know back at home,” Palm said. “The only time I get to see my family is over Christmas break and during summer because the plane tickets are so expensive to just go home anytime I want.”
Sophomore Molly Larson said one of the things she misses most about her home in Vancouver, Wash., is that if she forgets things, she cannot just run home and bring them back to school with her.
“There seem to be random things I wish I could have at Baker with me that are just sitting at my house in Washington,” Larson said. “Also, the whole paying-to-do-my-laundry thing really does not come in handy. I can’t just go ask my mom to help me with something because phone conversations do not really let that happen.”
Attending a university that is hours upon hours away can be exciting yet aggravating at the same time.
Junior Bryce Davin from Pinetop, Ariz., said even though he does not really ever get the chance to go back home, there are still some good things that come from the long distance.
“Even though being away from all of my friends is tough, I really like going to school in a different state because I got the chance to meet so many new people,” Davin said.
For McAloon, the distance is about more than just missing friends and family.
“I would say one of the things I think is better back at home is the drinking atmosphere,” he said. “The nightlife is a lot different and a lot crazier than what I’ve experienced here.”
Palm said he’s noticed a big difference in the focus on athletics, and it’s a difference he enjoys.
“For me, the biggest culture shock was the way people deal with sports here in the United States,” Palm said. “Back at home, I watched baseball now and then, but it was never anything too extreme. Here, everyone seems to be diehard fans about a certain college (or) NFL team and would not miss a game for the world. I like it.”
Palm also said he appreciates the way people at Baker have helped him make the transition to life in the United States.
“Being away from everything you used to know and learning another set of ideals and morals is not something easy to do, but I’ve made a lot of friends here who I know would always be there for me,” Palm said. “The Baker tennis team has helped me get through this new experience, and it is really nice because there are also two others on the team from overseas who help me adapt.”
Similar to Palm, McAloon said without the Baker soccer team, his experience in Kansas would not be the same.
“Being so far away from home, it is really nice to have friends here that make me feel like I’m at home.”