This trip has felt so fast and so slow at the same time. Over the course of the past three months, I have visited ten new countries throughout Europe and Africa that I had only dreamed of visiting. I met tons of new friends from places ranging from Calfornia to Chicago to Scranton, PA. I interacted with people and friends from all over the entire world. I worked a professional internship in a foreign country with coworkers from all over the world, doing work with clients in 22 different countries around the world. I also took classes in London that were based around London and what was going on around me. I also tried so many new foods, restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, parks, shows, and so so much more. To say the least, it was one of the most unbelievably action-packed and nonstop periods of my entire life.

This trip has also changed me as a person in so many ways. I feel like my CQ has grown exponentially because of all the new types of people I have interacted with. I am also much more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. This trip has felt so fast and so slow at the same time. Over the course of the past three months, I have visited ten new countries throughout Europe and Africa that I had only dreamed of visiting. I met tons of new friends from places ranging from Calfornia to Chicago to Scranton, PA. I interacted with people and friends from all over the entire world. I worked a professional internship in a foreign country with coworkers from all over the world, doing work with clients in 22 different countries around the world. I also took classes in London that were based around London and what was going on around me. I also tried so many new foods, restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, parks, shows, and so so much more. To say the least, it was one of the most unbelievably action-packed and nonstop periods of my entire life.

This trip has also changed me as a person in so many ways. I feel like my CQ has grown exponentially because of all the new types of people I have interacted with. This is such a valuable skill to bring back to Pitt and to the workforce in general. I am also much more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. The entirety of my time here has been in “foreign” situations, and because of that, I have had to push myself to adapt and become comfortable in those situations. Being comfortable in the uncomfortable is truly a valuable skill because it allows you to take risks and move out of your comfort zone. I am very happy that I honed this skill during my time here. 

My key takeaways here have been that I have a true love for traveling, new cultures, exploration, and meeting new people. This experience has inspired me to actually sign up for a mission trip later this year, where I will travel to South America and help build a school for the needy. In doing this, I will be able to serve an underprivileged community, improve the lives of other people, and explore a new place. I have also considered living and working abroad in the future. I am a Finance and Accounting major and have a strong interest in Private Equity and Investment Banking, so a world-class city like London would be an ideal place to kickstart my career. Especially now, considering that I have truly fallen in love with it over the course of the past three and a half months. All in all, this was probably the greatest experience I have ever had in my life.