As I am sitting back at home thinking about London it does not even feel real. I am so grateful for this opportunity I was given to be able to live and work in London all while being able to travel to different parts of Europe. I was able to travel to 5 other countries and 9 cities during my time abroad, and the experience and knowledge I gained is something I will hold with me for the rest of my life. I learned a lot about different cultures and how people across the world live on a day to day basis. I learned how to be comfortable on my own in different environments from having the ability to travel solo at certain points. I learned how to adapt quickly to new environments and become more social with the people around me, and it surprised me how easy this was for me. This program experience was one of the most beneficial aspects to help me grow personally and professionally. 

I have grown from this experience in so many different ways. Professionally, I have been able to gain so much valuable work experience. I had an amazing internship abroad where I developed great relations with my coworkers and became a part of the team almost immediately. I was able to contribute a lot to my team and get a lot done in a short amount of time. Academically, I learned a lot more about how to balance all my responsibilities at once. From adapting to living in a whole new country, taking a summer course, learning about my new job and what I need to do and wanting to travel and explore the area, it was a lot to be able to balance and manage my time the best I can. I was able to learn a lot through my International Finance course as well as a lot about different cultures and lifestyles in the places that I was able to travel to. Personally, I grew so much as an individual. I experienced many different situations that helped bring me out of my comfort zone. For example, I traveled solo for the first time ever which was a completely different experience. I was able to explore the city I was in and be comfortable with being by myself in a whole new country and city. To be able to have such an amazing experience to explore more of the world and learn a lot about myself is something I will never forget.

There are many key takeaways that I will hold from my time abroad. To start, my confidence grew a lot during my time abroad because of my ability to adapt and learn a lot about different areas such as culture, lifestyle and in the workplace. I know that I am able to accomplish anything I am given or deal with any difficult situation I am faced with. Back at school, I plan to utilize this to the highest degree by knowing my confidence in what I am learning and in my future jobs. Another key takeaway is to never be afraid to ask questions whether in the classroom or on the street. You are not always going to know everything and need to ask people around you in order to learn. It was an incredible experience to be able to ask others questions and form relations with them. When I was traveling solo, I met this wonderful family from New Zealand and was able to talk and travel with them to the next place we were going. It was so cool to meet someone from an entire different part of the world and learn about them and how they live their life differently from me. Overall, this was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I learned so much about myself and others that I am forever grateful for. I think the opportunity to travel and explore is so incredible and something that will benefit everyone.