Ello everyone! Thanks for coming back to read about my tedious adventures across the pond! Nothing too special has occurred since writing my last blog, but I will admit that I have binge watched the second season of Bridegerton, and have to say that the true diamond of the season was Newton, the Corgi. Anyways, for this post I wanted to look back on these last three months to see how much I have truly developed.
When I decided to study abroad this semester, I had many goals and skills I wanted to achieve. One “soft” skill that I believe I have truly improved upon is my communications skills. Although I have taken different courses on communications and public speaking, being in London has really helped me come out of my shell even more. I have had lots of group projects since I’ve been here (you just truly can’t escape them, even in a different country) that have us presenting our projects in front of the class, which has really helped calm my anxiety and nerves about talking in front of a group of people when giving an important presentation. I have also had the opportunity to meet tons of new people by just going up to random people in my classes, in my building, or at different events CAPA has (or maybe a bar or two, but we’ll leave that up for interpretation).
It has honestly been really cool to meet so many people from different backgrounds- I never realized how many cultures could fit in a city like this. It has also been fun to meet and talk with those from London. Just the other night, I was out with my friend and we started talking to this one English girl who was very nice, and even later that night, we met some other people whom we were talking about different musical artists, their jobs, and the people they have met in their life. I have also had the chance to talk with loads of CAPA students, and have even befriended so many Pitt students that I would have never met if it weren’t for studying abroad (hi friends, you know who you are!). Here in London, there tend to not be as many cross-cultural challenges as one would expect, but you do have those instances from time to time, for example, their use of slang. They tend to use different words for different things (as we do in America) and it’s been so cool to witness it in real life. Internally, my inner monologue now has an English accent just from going on the tube every single day.
My time here is, unfortunately, coming to an end very soon, I’m afraid (do you see how I’m even being more “proper” with my words! I’m a changed woman!). Cheerio, for now!
