Thank you to Rollins, CAPA, D&D, family, and my friends for making my time abroad unforgettable. Sadly, I never met any of the royal family. If I didn’t work while in London, I’m not even sure how many locals I would have met either. I was lucky enough to meet all different types of Londoners while working in the city, but if I chose not to do the internship, I would have only gone to school with Americans, lived with Americans, and travelled with Americans. It’s funny because Londoners have similar tendencies to New Englanders. They mostly keep to themselves, do not smile, and love their sports teams. Sometimes, this made it difficult to get to know people but if you ever needed help, the people would be friendly and willing to assist.
I also didn’t expect the British to be so direct about a lot of things. They really don’t sugarcoat it and don’t seem to have the same concerns about being politically correct like we do in America. After taking some getting used to, this was a breath of fresh air. This does not mean that the people are rude just that they don’t tiptoe around a topic.
I had heard so much about the diversity of the city beforehand but I don’t think anyone could have truly prepared me for how massive and culturally diverse the city truly is. With over 8 million residents and over 300 languages spoken in the city, it is safe to say London is the world’s melting pot. Because of this, I tried to be as aware of my surroundings as possible. In a big city, it is normal to feel a little unsafe but for the most part I always felt okay.
The people that I met while traveling throughout Europe seemed to have a better awareness of the world and global news. At first, I was really shocked by how much Europeans knew about U.S. politics and our country. There were of course a few exceptions to this, but for the most part people in general seemed to have a better sense of what was happening in 2019. This really impressed me and made me realize how much of bubble it can be when you live in the United States.
I believe that parts of all my experiences have impacted the way I want to see the world. I am fortunate enough to have a choice as to how educated I am in international affairs. I have never felt more passionate to expand my knowledge on these global issues and events than right now. My experiences have made me realize that no matter where you are in the world, everyone needs food, water, and happiness. All humans are striving towards these things and with that commonality, we can all relate.