Traveling to London is something that I have envisioned for years. I can’t believe that I am going to be there in less than a week (and staying for 4 months!). I am full of both excitement and anxiety as I am preparing to leaving the United States until April. I am anxious to leave home, but extremely excited for the adventures that I will encounter over the next several months. Throughout my time at Rollins College, I have learned about the importance of identity and how each person has their own identity. As someone that was born and raised in the United States, I believe that my identity is reflected by the culture within my home country as well as the people I am surrounded with in my life. I believe that my cultural identity shapes the way in which I see the world. By traveling to London, I am eager to experience the views of many different cultures. I believe that my identity will offer me advantages when I travel. I will be able to teach those I encounter in my travels about my culture, while learning about theirs as well. There are some disadvantages about my identity that I may encounter while traveling as well. I have not traveled to many different countries thus far in my life. Due to this, I have not been exposed to many cultures that are very different from my own. Therefore, I may experience some difficulties adjusting to the new country when I first arrive. Despite this disadvantage, I am excited to meet a variety of different people in London that have different backgrounds than myself. London is a city full of people from all over the world. I am going to meet people from all different backgrounds that I can learn from while I’m in London. I believe that living in such a diverse city like London will be an advantage to me because I will learn so much about my own culture and how it differs from those in London. I feel as though traveling the world is one of the best ways to learn and grow as a person. When I leave my home in a week and begin my journey to London I will remain open minded and learn all I can about myself and others throughout my time abroad.
