England: Anna Racine (Final Reflections)

It is a very bittersweet feeling that my program is coming to an end. While I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends in the states, I will miss London so much! London is an amazing city with so many different cool things to do. I loved having the opportunity to explore the city. I was nervous to study abroad in a foreign country, but I am so grateful that I decided to take a leap of faith. I feel like I have grown so much as an individual in these past three months. I have encountered many cultural differences that have opened my eyes and made me realize there are still so many places I want to go and cultures I want to learn about. I also have gained independence, as I have had to use my problem-solving skills in many different scenarios. An example of this is learning how to use public transportation. I have traveled to several different countries, where I have used different transportation systems. It was very intimidating at first, but I am so glad I was forced to navigate public transportation because I believe this is a skill that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

One lasting memory I have from this program experience is a tour of Westminster that I did in the first few days of arriving. I will never forget this day because I remember just looking around at the different sights in awe of their beauty. I couldn’t believe I was actually in London, and I was going to spend the next three months here. Now I can’t believe the time has blown by so fast.

 

Anna Racine 

Hometown: Hugo, Minnesota

Major: Accounting

Program: IES Direct Enrollment – City St George’s, University of London