I cannot believe how quickly the semester has gone by. When I first arrived in London, it was freezing and perpetually dark. Now the days have warmed and lengthened, with bright sunshine even occasionally filling the skies. It feels almost wrong to have to go home now.

My time in London has been amazing. I loved exploring the city and its famous sites but also just walking around my neighbourhood and getting a feel for the city. One of my favourite things to do in London has been to explore the many museums. A lot of them are free or have concessions for students, which has been super helpful. My favourite museum I’ve been to was the V&A, and I also really enjoyed the Painted Hall in Greenwich. Student and under-25 concessions have also helped me see a lot of great films inexpensively at the BFI and the Barbican, like rewatching Everything Everywhere All at Once during Oscars week and The Godfather during the BFI’s Greatest Films of All Time. I’ve eaten great food, gone to see plays and musicals on the West End and experienced the hustle and bustle of true city life for the first time.

Personally, I feel I’ve grown and become more independent. I feel like I can rely on myself more now. Living in London has made me more open to living abroad or just somewhere different than I envisioned for myself in the future. There’s so much to discover in new cities, and I hope I’ll have the opportunity to do so again further down the road in my life. Academically I’ve grown in terms of my time management skills and my comfort level with scholarly and professional writing. Two of my courses are writing-intensive, and a third is a writing class, so I’ve certainly expanded my skills.

Though I didn’t participate in an internship, living in London has helped me acclimate to city living, to having a commute, and helped me re-envision how I want to live and where I want to work in the future. The growth I’ve experienced in my academic skills and the perspective I’ve gained from living in London will certainly benefit me during the rest of my time at Pitt Business and in the job market when I graduate. I’m beyond thankful for the opportunity to study and live in London, and I am dreading my flight home despite my excitement to be back at Pitt and see my friends and family at home. I’ll miss you London!!