England: Jeremy Alfred (Interact)

Program: UW Global Launch in London

While in London, I really wanted to immerse myself in British culture, which is why I joined a Rowing Team, as it is a very British sport! I had no previous experience rowing before, but after learning the basics in a short introductory course, I was on the water. It was less challenging than I had originally thought it would be; most of the difficulty was the actual pattern/technique of rowing the oar, however it felt great to be gliding through the Thames, seeing the small boat cut through the water, on a sunny and cool October day. When rowing, every little movement sends the boat into a wobble, so the team must work together in order to stay afloat, and I found that after the first rowing session, we were already quite close and bonded as teammates because we trusted each other in the boat. Every British person I interacted with was so welcoming and kind, and showed me how to become a better rower, and it was quite easy to already start laughing and become friends with each of my teammates!