“In the fall of my freshman year, I was so excited when an older friend recommended the UF in Lille program to me, mainly to get Physics 2 (the worst class ever) out of the way and to travel to Europe for the very first time. As soon as I got approved to go, flights were booked and the best summer of my life was about to begin. Navigating the Lille train station alone and seeing 20 other UF students who were complete strangers was one of the most intimidating moments of my life, but by the end of that first night we were already inseparable. Throughout the summer, my new friends and I traveled all over Europe to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Dover, Ibiza, and Brussels. We slept in tents at music festivals, stayed in 16-person hostels, missed countless trains, and explored the beautiful city of Lille. What I didn’t know at the time was that I’d make the best group of friends, people I still see every day.”
Lauren Busby
*
Lauren Busby *
“One of my favorite parts of the summer was our nightly tradition of family dinner, where we would take turns cooking for each other. Even now, a year later, the tradition continues. It may not be nightly like it was in Lille, but even once a month, sitting around a dinner table in Gainesville, with the same people I traveled the world with is still one of my favorite things. That summer gave me some of my best memories, showed me a level of independence I didn’t know I had, and became the highlight of my college experience. I am forever grateful to the friend who encouraged me to go, because Lille truly changed the course of my life. It is hard to put into words how much this program means to me.”