When reflecting upon being abroad in London this past fall semester, I noticed multiple
differences between the culture that I was in, compared to what I was used to in the
United States growing up. One of the cultural differences that I noticed was the
behaviors and relationship styles in the workplace, during my internship. There were
multiple instances where I realized this, such as the timing of work and breaks being
held. The communication that occurred in the London workplace for instance was more
laid back and casual, as lunch breaks could even be seen to occur at a local pub.
People also come and go as they please, as long as they get their work done.
The conversations in the workplace consisted of more noticeable banter between
employees with a relaxed sense of energy, as I have not noticed in a previous job that I
had in the United States. This was honestly a nice style of work to walk into, as it gave
me a sense of comfort. It did take some adjusting, as I was not used to some of the
dialogue and tones, but overall it became a more familiar feeling. I overall had a positive
experience with my internship, gaining new skills, memories, major learning curves, and
more realizations about myself and where I want my future to go. I feel grateful for the
opportunity to get a glimpse into the working lifestyle in a new location, with many
opportunities that could potentially continue to stem from this experience.
I feel as though if I was from London, having a lense into my personal experience,
they would be pleased with what I have seen, experienced, and accomplished within the
semester that I was there. I feel as though I was able to gain a new understanding of
myself, and that multiple moments of inner growth occurred, allowing me to feel content
with my semester abroad. Reflecting on my time abroad prepares me for my future in
the sense that it is making me look into the past in new perspectives, helping me to
realize my strengths and challenges from my time in this situation. This will allow me to
continue to work on the challenges and strive forward with positive moments of
accomplishment in my future. I think that reflecting in any sense helps to enable growth,
especially with something so valuable and important in your life. Moving away for a
whole semester had its ups and downs. However, overall, it helped to change my way of
thinking, grow my independence, become more confident, and find myself in these
crucial growing moments of life.
