Incredibly, my time in London is more than half over already! It is amazing how quickly the program has gone, and it is going faster as each week progresses. I have come a long way since the first day that I arrived when everything was so unfamiliar and foreign. Now, I am much more confident with the process of each day, and I know exactly what to expect from London. The tube has become incredibly easy; I have even been able to give directions to lost tourists over the last week when they ask for help! I also have an understanding of exactly where I am in the city in relation to other places, whereas at the beginning of the program I was, more or less, blindly following the directions my phone generated.

In regards to my internship, I feel as though I have gotten to know my co-workers a lot better since I’ve been here. Additionally, I have been working on projects that have a real, positive impact on the company; the projects that I have been working on will yield results for months to come. I have also been creating several social media campaigns that are scheduled months out, so I will continue to see the impact of my work even once I return home. The next part my friends at home often forget, but I am taking two classes while abroad that have many, many assignments every week. It has been a balancing act to get everything done in addition to work and sightseeing, but it has gotten slightly easier to manage as the weeks have progressed. I will say, I don’t think I have ever done so much writing in a six-week timeframe in my life.

While abroad, many people will often go to Europe on the weekend because the flights are often very inexpensive! With my internship and class schedule, I haven’t been able to travel to Europe, but that doesn’t mean that I still don’t travel throughout the United Kingdom! There is a lot to see just within the UK on the weekends, and the amazing rail network throughout the whole country makes it easy to go anywhere you want. One weekend trip that we took thanks to the National Rail service was to the white cliffs of Dover, where we also got to see the Dover Castle. This was a very cool experience that had a lot of World War 2 history throughout. Last weekend, we took part in CAPA’s second day trip to Oxford. About two hours away, Oxford is one of the world’s most historic and well-known institutions. One of my favorite parts was getting to see where some of the Harry Potter movies were filmed, and it certainly did not disappoint.

I won’t be in London forever, so it is important to take advantage of everyday that I am abroad. While that means sleep often is lacking, there will be plenty of time to sleep once I am back home. With just a couple weeks left, I look forward to do something new every day in the time that I have left.

Take care.

Justin