So, what’s it like to study abroad? Kinda like walking into a new grocery store. You don’t really know the layout, but you’re excited to start shopping none the less. First, you’re struck by all the new flashy colors and things to do. As always, depending on where you decide to travel, you’ll still see a few old favorites. I know I was pretty happy to see the Burger King and KFC immediately across from the Gloucester Road tube stop. Coming from Chicago, I settled in pretty quick. It did, however, take a while to realize that I was not in America anymore.I was excited to travel so I tried to hit up as many places as I could. Well, it was more of a Burger King world tour, but I managed to take in a few sites. It’s amazing to see how far America really is from the rest of the world. People traveling around on vacations in “The States” seem to go either north or south. London, on the other hand, afforded a fantastic jumping off point. I made it to Scotland, Amsterdam (ahem), Kosovo, Kuwait, and had my ten day vacation in Thailand. While traveling, and realizing that I only had a few days to explore, I made a real effort to soak in as many sites and experiences as possible. Returning home, I decided to make more of an effort to get out more in my own little town of Chicago.
The London Centre program was incredibly beneficial. I gained valuable intercultural experience, and an even stronger desire to explore. I know this all sounds like the usual blah, blah, blah clich writing coming from someone who just returned from abroad, but I STRONGLY advise YOU, yes YOU, to get out of this country for a while. Plus, when you return, you get to write an article for, in this writer’s opinion, the best damn paper in the country. Go Vikes!