When
presented with the options for studying abroad, I explored the various trips
quite thoroughly, but decided to return to London, Paris, and Barcelona. I have
been to each of these cities on amazing People to People Student Ambassador
Program trips during my summers in high school, but this trip may different due
to the fact I’m significantly older, have a different level of education, and
have been through many more life experiences. On the other hand, it is very
similar in that I will be traveling with mostly people I do not know, and I
will have the opportunity to build new friendships with not only the people
from Davenport University, but also the people I interact with at the college
and at the sites we’ll be visiting.
When previously in London, I loved learning about the history of the city, the royalty, & the British accent was fascinating to me. I have recently been following Downton Abbey, a British television show, as well as last year's Olympic Games from London, so the opportunity to see the Olympic Park as well as visit castles similar to that on Downton piqued my interest. It has been ten years since I have been to
London, the place where I’ll be spending the most time, and when I was in
London it was for a total of 4 days. I visited Paris and Barcelona 9 years ago, and
I am excited to once again experience the Eiffel Tower view, La Sagrada
Familia, and the Mediterranean Sea. Since I will be in London for a longer
time, I will be able to experience a Londoner student’s life. In addition, I
will get to learn and explore both familiar and new places as a newly graduated
Master in Business Administration instead of a high school freshman or
sophomore. There are several places in London which I am looking forward to
re-experiencing as well as some I do not recall seeing before. During People to People, we stayed in hotels
with a few homestays; whereas, this trip will be hotel stays in Paris and
Barcelona and dorms in London at Regent’s College. I will be traveling with 25 students and 3
professors. Another difference in experiences will be that during this trip public transportation will be utilized rather than private busses everywhere.
Global
travel and study has changed my life through the places I’ve been able to
experience, the real-life learning that has taken place, and the people I’ve
been able to meet. Some of my closest friends have come through the travel
experiences I’ve had both internationally and domestically, and I’m very
excited to experience Europe with some of my fellow Cohort #1 classmates as well
as some new friends to be. I believe I will be changed once again by a global
travel experience, and I will have an increased sense of awareness of how big
yet small the world really is. As I count down the days, the anticipation is
building, and I could not fathom a better way to finish up my master’s degree.
Here
are a few pictures of my last visit to Paris and Barcelona:
Paris:
Barcelona:
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