Goodbye London! This study abroad experience has advanced not only my education but also my maturity. I made sure that I explored as much of London as possible – which I highly recommend – especially the areas often overlooked by tourists such Brixton and the East End: areas rooted in multiculturism that have grown tremendously in the past decades with gentrification. There are tons of awesome foods from all over the world to try. The nightlife also gets better over in the East End!

I also was able to travel outside of London and even Great Britain to Amsterdam and Brussels. The architecture of especially Brussels was astonishingly beautiful. Being able to see other major cities in Europe heightened my cultural awareness because people conducted themselves rather differently, especially compared to London. I found that American cities compare much more to London than Amsterdam and Brussels. 

Through my time abroad I became drastically more independent. Upon departure I knew no one, even out of the other students from Pitt; by the end of my time abroad I developed life-long friendships with Londoners, students from other US universities, and fellow Panthers alike. This opportunity inspired me to be more adventuresome than I already was, and I can gladly say that I made the most of my time abroad.