Dear Pre-Departure, Me,
Prepare yourself for an experience that will be even more amazing and life altering than you ever imagined.
Coming to London, I had little idea what was in store for me, only expecting a unique and somewhat scary experience as I was to take on a brand-new city and country, an experience I would be taking on all by myself. I came worried about life away from family, friends, chick-fila, and all the comforts of home. I came unsure of how the people, classes, work, and city itself here in London would appeal to myself, with no experience of living outside of my hometown let alone across an ocean.
Never could I have predicted how this different and unique nation, and the countless new people I have met would bring me novel and fascinating experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. From seeing beautiful historical sites, eating amazing food from all over the world, and meeting and hanging out with people from across the country and globe, I don’t believe I could ever have experienced anything like this anywhere else in the world.
Most significant possible in this program’s benefits has been the amazing people it has introduced me to. From amazing professors, coworkers, and new friends I never would met otherwise, this program has opened doors to relationships I never would have found previously. Even with my fellow Pitt students, I have met so many that I never met previously and have been able to craft new friendships that maybe never would’ve occurred without this wonderful program.
The beauty of the program is in how it forces you in many ways to engage with this new city, interacting with the community and people within it. This is a unique feature of studying abroad as at home it can be so comfortable to simply stick within your individual groups and bubbles, avoiding real engagement with the world around you. Here in London, I have been forced to go out and try to meet new people and try new experiences to truly get the most out of it all.
As I close in upon my eventual return to the United States, I am excited in some ways to return to that which is comfortable, to see my family and friends, or to experience those American comforts I have so missed. However, I will really miss this wonderful experience which has opened me to so much in this world, and really changed the way I approach new and sometimes nerve-wracking experiences that before coming here I never would’ve recognized as the amazing opportunities that they are.