In forty eight hours, I will have to say “So Long, London.” However, I do not see it as a goodbye, but just a see you later, as the cliché goes.

Since freshman year, I have been dreaming about spending a semester abroad, and dreaming about living in this city filled with magic for even longer. Now, I have gone and lived out these goals, so it is hard to believe I have to let go so soon. Typically when a semester is nearing its end, I feel ready to let go. Not this time.

As I buy the last of my souvenirs, I realized I will be coming home with more than just decorations for my shelves. The true keepsakes I will be coming home with are new friends, new knowledge, a new professional toolkit, as well as a new sense of self and purpose.

So, I would like to thank both Pitt’s Global Business Institute and the scholarship donor for granting me this opportunity of a lifetime.

Academically, this semester looked very different than many of my traditional courses at Pitt. I have taken classes that have placed experiential learning at the forefront and have pushed me to access more creative parts of my brain.

Through this program, I have been taken on tours of so many neighborhoods, museums, and landmarks that has shaped my view of London as a booming global and multicultural city. Some places I was taken to for multiple classes, but for different reasons of analysis. This experience taught me that not everything should be looked at from just one perspective – a skill I will certainly bring back to Pitt and apply to my future career. A future career, that is, that I am considering pursuing in this global financial center.

I have come to appreciate the work-life balance prioritized in London. Here, I would be able to work to live, not live to work. Without this study abroad experience, I may never have fallen in love with traveling and learned how much of the world there is to see, explore, and appreciate.

I have faced so many challenges over the last three months, but I have emerged a stronger person on the other side. One with more confidence, more ambition, more outlook. Studying abroad is an unforgettable experience that I believe every student, if they are able to, should do. I will come back to Pitt Business and undoubtedly recommend it to everyone.

As Taylor Swift said on her brand new album: “I loved this place for so long, London. Had a good run. A moment of warm sun.” So, so long, London. You will live in a glowing, warm piece of my heart forever. And if all works out, you might not be rid of me forever.