If things had continued how originally planned, the day I am writing this entry would have been the day I was scheduled to get on a plane to come home and officially leave London. When I first began this program, I held no expectations mainly because I believed that it would have been an experience that would be unpredictable and different in so many ways. At the end of it all, I can truly say I would’ve never predicted the turn out of my last 3 months. This experience definitely left its impact and will be something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Some of the most meaningful parts of the experience, to me, were the people I met and the places I got to visit. Although overall there were many different aspects of the experience that had an effect on me, I believe the friends I made and the different areas and cultures I was able to experience were the most meaningful. 

When it comes to planning this type of journey, everyone’s intentions are so similar yet so unique from one another. All students have a goal to study abroad in a foreign country, learning new things, visiting new places and more. At the same time there are aspects within each student that will vary depending on their goals. For example, some may be going to gain more cultural awareness while others may go for clarification on their career path. Overall, I wanted to take in a little bit of everything and soak in all that I can. One of the friends I made while in London, who made the biggest impact during my experience and also shared these goals, was Bruno. He was a film major who studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Something I valued about Bruno was his ability to look more into details and to think deeper about everything. He would  ask how we felt about certain things, would always ask why or why not to find out more about our reasons behind our answers. I felt, after interacting with him for two months, I was thinking more deeply about certain situations and aspects of what I was experiencing. This was able to give me a greater understanding and appreciation for everything around me, which I became more grateful for.

As I have said in past blogs, and will continue to say, I am beyond grateful for this overall experience I was able to have. Despite being cut short, I wouldn’t change any of my experience abroad for anything. I felt as if I was able to learn and grow so much from the people I met, visiting new countries, and the learning experience I went through. Like before, I want to again thank everyone who was a part of, as well as helped me through this amazing time. Since my program is officially over this will be my last blog. I appreciate everyone who came along this journey with me and I wish you all the best!

  This past week would have been my last week in London. Although I am now spending that week at home, I have still needed to complete all the work that was originally assigned during this finals period. Overall the work has been very time consuming. Working on writing papers, recording mock interviews, and maintaining communication with peers for group assignments have all been difficult tasks to complete. In addition to that, as mentioned before, a lot of my classes discussed the different themes and aspects of London as a city. With being home, it has been a different experience learning about these themes from home in front of the computer compared to being in the city gaining that first hand experience. This has given me more of an appreciation, not only for the areas I was able to explore on my own but also through the courses I was able to take. Another aspect that I have gained more of an appreciation for is working with group members while being in different time zones. Despite everyone having to go home early, many if not all, of the group assignments that had been assigned or were in the process of being assigned were still expected to be done by the due date. Once everyone went back to their respective homes, we began living in all different time zones. I worked with a classmate who is from Arizona, from Minnesota, and even a classmate who lives in Korea, that has a 12 hour difference in time from me. This made certain goals a lot harder to achieve than they needed to be, but in the end we were able to get things done. With the challenges that have come with completing my school work remotely, there has been a gained appreciation for certain circumstances from before. 

Another complex job that I have been keeping up with lately has been initiating and maintaining contact with my advisor from school, trying to map out my future, as well as deal with issues going on now. As I go into the summer and prepare for my senior year, a major part of the preparation is determining which classes I have left to take in order to complete my graduation requirements. Although I am able to figure this out on my own there are forms and permission forms required to take some of the courses I would like to take. In addition to that, I planned to apply for the 5th year Masters program for Community Development at my school and in order to do so you must gain contact with an advisor from that department. After some time I was able to get in contact but I then began to realize there is a big difference talking about things over email than face to face. Expressing yourself is different as well as interpreting what the other person is trying to say over emails. Overall, remote working is a difficult task, but thankfully not just for myself but for many people around the world, it has been a safe way to be able to get things done which is a great thing.

As the coronavirus continues to affect everyone’s lives around the world, it also continues to alter plans in my life as well. Not only did it end my study abroad experience much earlier than expected, I also had set plans for a summer internship to help me gain new experiences in a field I have interest in developing a career in. Unfortunately, this past week my internship had been suspended for the summer and was no longer taking place. Initially it didn’t seem true. I could not believe that coronavirus was having such a great effect on the world that certain things and so much was being impacted. Our parents tell us to a make plans for your future, get involved, volunteer, and participate in internships for experience. I mapped it out as much as I could and everything began to fall into place. At almost in an instant, it all felt as if everything was swept out from under me. Through all of these events I have learned many things, but one that has stuck with me the most is to live in the moment because what has happened in the past is unchangeable and what is set to happen in the future is unpredictable. The world is changing and lives are lost, so we must hold onto the present and treat it as the gift it is. 

Living in the moment is easier said than done. Depending on what you are doing at the moment, it can either remind you of something of the past, or it will bring ideas to your mind about the future. Enjoying that moment that you are currently living in can sometimes be one of the hardest things to do. For example, when experiencing the new area and regions I was continually reminded of places I have visited while at home. Only after a while did I remind myself I should fully take in the beauty of the new places I was visiting. I could remember after making my first trip to Paris, for a majority of the trip my friends and I had begun planning future places to visit when we had such a beautiful place in front of us that we were in. Beautiful moments can go by so quickly and we make plans to create more memories. Our current situation reinforces the importance of family, friends, being in the moment, and being flexible to roll with the changes of life.

From the beginning of the program all the way to this moment I have had life changing and once in a lifetime experiences. Both positive and negative, but experiences that I will remember forever. Through these times there are many new things for people to experience and learn. I think that people should look at the positives of the situation we are all in and continue to make the best of the moment.

This week I spent a lot of time thinking about the different aspects of the classes I took while studying abroad as I began finalizing the work from those classes at home. It is a very different vibe working from my room rather than taking the tube for over a half hour to get to my classes. Not being in London while taking these courses definitely puts things into a different perspective. One of the bigger components of the class time that I am miss most are those that had walking tours implemented into the coursework.
Through the walking tours I was able to learn about and see first hand not only the different areas within London, but also all the variety of things it had to offer. Over time and through the many walking tours, I was able to see the how London had developed over the years. Not only while visiting different areas were we able to see how they developed in many ways over the centuries , they were also able to maintain a status of being recognized as a global city. One of the main aspects I appreciated the most when exploring London was its overall diversity within the city. From the diverse styles of architecture through the neighborhoods, the various themes used throughout, to the different cultures and traditions of the people living there. Even though English is spoke in London, going into this study abroad program, I did not have high expectations for a lot of diversity. The more I got out and was able to learn as well as explore, I began to realize how London is much more diverse than I initially thought.
One of my favorite walking tours happened to also be one of the first ones I went on. This tour was to the region called Brixton. Brixton is an area where there is a longer history of the Caribbean culture. I was not expecting to find a culture like this to be in London. Add to this my Haitian, Puerto Rican, and Dominican background, there were many aspects of this area that reminded me of my family and childhood. During this outing, we were able to explore the area a bit and get food during our quick break. I will never forget stumbling upon a Jamaican restaurant that sold Jamaican patties with coco bread. This was something that instantly reminded me of my family and childhood mainly because every time we visited New York growing up, there was no way we could leave the state without my mom getting multiple beef patties with coco bread. I had to stop in and get some for myself and as soon as I ate it I had that instant connection to home. It seems no matter how far away these two countries are, there are so many similarities that connect us. The diversity of London is something that is very special to see and is also something I will miss greatly. 

Thankfully, last Saturday, I was able to fly back home safely and reconnect with my family! In almost an instant I went from being in the United Kingdom to being back at home. Although I am very blessed to be back with my family safe and healthy, some of the feelings I got from making that change so suddenly were almost unexplainable. I decided to self-quarantine so that gave me some time to think about everything.

Initially, I felt as if this shouldn’t be happening. I went through the first 6 weeks of my program perfectly fine, had an amazing spring break, and since then nothing was the same. The next two weeks of the program everyone was concerned with what was going on, which made truly enjoying the program a little harder. I realized although I went through so many different adventures and grew in various ways over my time abroad, I felt I still had so much more to experience, more to discover about myself and London. I had chosen to take this chance for studying abroad early in college and it was something I eagerly awaited. Never in a million years would I have anticipated having to stop everything early because of a global pandemic. Nevertheless, I completely understand the need to take the necessary precautions needed to contain this virus. This entire experience will never be forgotten.

Despite all of that I have been trying to handle this quarantining as best as possible. I have been able to eat my mom’s cooking again which, after two months of cooking for myself, is more appreciated than ever. I have been able to rest and relax more than I have in a while which is something my body and mind really needed. And even though it’s only been a week, I still do not think I am fully over the jet lag. I get tired very early and waking up at 7 AM is beginning to become the norm for me. In addition to that, I’ve caught up with  a lot of the main tv series I previously enjoyed watching. My new struggle is now finding new ones shows to watch.

Lastly,I went from walking around London everyday and having 30+ minutes of commute time to different destinations, to being told I shouldn’t leave the house has been quite a transition but, I know, is ultimately for the best. With that being said, I hope everyone is being as safe as they can be. I think although this is all happening it can be a good time to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with ourselves and loved ones. I’ve always tried to look for the best in a given situation. I truly believe if we can find something positive about what is going on right now, things will become easier and get better quicker. 

This past week came with a rush of emotions. Everything happening so fast, trying to keep up and mentally prepare for the unpredicted events that were set to come, made this week one of the hardest of the whole program. Despite everything, I am very grateful for the opportunity I had, the amazing people I met, and the unforgettable memories and experiences I was able to live through. From visiting different countries, going through an internship, and expanding my mind to different views; I feel as if over the past two months I learned a great deal and developed a deeper appreciation for the world around us. The concept of enjoying the moment as nothing lasts forever, truly fits this moment in time, and we should all capitalize on possible opportunities we want to pursue.

This week was a roller coaster. At the start of the week, I was fortunate enough to see the play Hamilton for the first time! It was amazing, the atmosphere was great and all of the cast delivered an amazing performance. Still having to work from home for my internship, the constant discussion of everyone was if we were going to be sent home and, if so, when. Going through the week as if it was any normal week was harder than it seemed. Then came Wednesday night. Wednesday night seemed to be the turning point for the whole program, everyone involved, and even the world. That night one of my roommates received a message from his school advising him to prepare to come home. At that point we were all filled with many different emotions. Feelings of confusion, sadness, frustration, but also gratefulness, appreciation, and happiness of having the opportunity we had, hit all at once. In only a matter of hours, the President of U.S. made the announcement that all travel to and from the EU was banned. Right after that announcement, my friend who was told he had to be home in two weeks, had it changed to two days. In addition to that, something maybe more tragic for me than others, the NBA had suspended all of its game and the season. This was an intense couple of hours and a lot was taken in all at once. 

The next day multiple schools, including mine, began to inform students to come home and just like that, within 12 hours our study abroad experience was over. No one could, nor did they want to truly believe what was going on. We are all taking a life changing opportunity going through this experience, we’ve all created bonds and connections so fast, and we were finally getting to that point where we felt as if we were true Londoners, but within a day we’re told we have to come home. Of course there is much sadness that comes from this: leaving a beautiful country, the uncertainty if you’ll ever again see the friends you made, as well as the additional scare the entire world was experiencing. Despite that, I tried to use the life lesson I was taught when growing up and tried to find the positives within the situation. Positives: I was able to live and study in another country for 2 months and experience a whole new life, I met people who will forever hold a special place in my life story, and I created a multitude of memories that I will never forget. In addition to that everything that has happened this year will make for a great story to tell my kids when I am older. 

With all of that being said I want to thank everyone who was a part of this process, my family, Clark University, Capa London, FEA scholarship organization, my friends, and everyone I met along the way. I will never forget this time and am beyond grateful to have gone through it. For this potentially being my last blog, I’ll be sure to include pictures of myself, some of the amazing people I met, and the beautiful places we were able to visit.

With this being the first week of the program after spring break, this means we are in the second half and getting closer to the end. In this first week of the second half there is a lot going on and a lot to consider as we move forward in the program.

One of the main things circulated throughout the program this week is the discussion of the Covid-19, also known as Coronavirus. This has been a recurring topic mainly due to the fact that it has been having an effect on many of the study abroad programs around Europe and even for some students in the UK. Since it has hit Italy so harshly, students all over that region have been sent home. For students in my program who visited there during spring break, many of us could not go into our internship for this week and next week to make sure everyone is healthy. There is also a lingering feeling that if things get worse, everyone in our program will be sent back home early. A student was already sent home by her school. With all of this going on, it leads to me thinking a lot about how much this virus has affected so many people and programs around the world, my time in this program, and what my future holds.

One of the things I find myself thinking about the most is what my time studying abroad has been like. My time abroad has been more special than I ever truly realized. Traveling throughout all of these different countries and cities, meeting new people and exploring new cultures not only did it open my mind to different things but it also helped me grow an appreciate my upbringing, my experiences growing up, as well as the people I have met. I think life in general can be taken for granted a lot of the time and we do not realize how lucky we truly are. 

Over this trip I wanted to learn more about myself and what gives me a sense of fulfillment not only overall but also in my future career path. That is something I think I have learned and am beginning to learn more about as the days go on. I want to enjoy life to the fullest and experience new things that will expose my mind to new perspectives and widen my mindset. With that in mind I am learning more that a career path within the social entrepreneurial world may be something that could bring me satisfaction and fulfillment. Having the ability to help others who may have less opportunities to experience their best life, is something I see bringing myself a lot of joy. Building off of these feelings, I am excited and looking forward to what the future holds!

This past week was my spring break week and I was lucky enough to do some traveling! Anticipating this week for so long, I was more than ready to do some traveling and do some exploring. The plan for my friends and I was to spend a fair amount of time in Italy and then the last couple of days in Spain! More specifically Florence and Barcelona. Having never been to these places I was very excited to explore and learn more about these areas.
First stop was Florence, Italy. After spending a week with my dad, I flew out myself a day later than my friends to meet them there. After landing, I was greeted with the best spring weather. As I walked to pick up my bag at the turn belt, I could only think of all the new places I would see, not even realizing my bag never came through. Once I began to pay attention, I noticed the same two bags kept cycling through the turn belt and, it was at that point I knew my bag was missing. Being overjoyed to be in Italy, I was thrown off not having my luggage. I let the airport know my bag did not come through and they said they would contact me when it was found. After that, I made my way outside the airport just to realize I had no clue where I was going and Uber was not available in my area. Nevertheless, I was too happy to be in Italy to be worried. Luckily with the help of a friend, I was able to find my way to where we were staying and the fun began. Over the course of my time in Italy, I was able to explore Florence, visit Rome, and visit San Gimignano. With all of the places being extremely different, it was beautiful to witness them all. Florence was a very compact city with everything situated near each other and the vibe of the city was very comforting and warm. Rome, holding a lot of history, was truly mesmerizing to see including the fact that a lot of the old buildings and structures from Ancient Rome were still up, giving the city its unique style and history. San Gimignano was an old medieval area where not many people stayed but had a very rich sense of culture and was eye opening to walk through. Over all my experience in Italy showed me how amazing life is and how much there is to explore, making it even more special and worthwhile to explore. Not only for this experience but also my experience with the amazing food would make Italy a spot I would recommend many to visit.
Next stop, Barcelona, Spain. With never having been to Barcelona or Spain in general this was something I have been looking forward to doing. When we first landed, the initial vibe I got was that it was similar to Florida. The very warm weather, for February, and long and flat landscape is very reminiscent of Florida. This is another example of how similar place can be regardless of how far away they are to one another. While in Barcelona, experiencing the new culture, architecture and everything the city had to offer, I started to think about how many different cultures and surroundings we have experienced so far along this trip. I feel as if the more I experience, the more I grow an appreciation for life and the opportunities I have. Spain was a beautiful city with a very unique and fun culture. Something I truly appreciated the most from my time over spring break was how nice all the people we met were. Whether it was walking around, at a restaurant, or on the train, many people were very genuine and helpful in all situations. As I go through this journey, I am very grateful for the overall experience I was able to have and wouldn’t change it for the world.

This past week I was fortunate enough to have my dad come all the way to London to visit for a week! I felt excitement building up as the time got closer. It brought me back to the time my dad and I visited Paris a few years ago. To have this opportunity again seemed surreal. It was a week I was very excited for and had been anticipating for a while! My family and I discussed the possibility of them visiting but we weren’t sure if twas something that can be done financially. While my whole family couldn’t visit, I was happy to see my dad was able to. As I waited at the airport for him to walk out, I had so many emotions running through me. I haven’t see my family in over a month. To say I miss them would be an understatement. Feelings of happiness and relief consumed me as soon as I saw him; I couldn’t stop smiling!

 As soon as he arrive that day, we went to go see a football (soccer) match! This was something both my dad and I were looking forward to. We wondered what the difference in atmosphere and game play there would be between American soccer and soccer overseas. On this day in particular, it had been raining more than usual and it was quite cold but that did not take away from the energy of the fans in the stadium. We were seated on the home side watching Fulham versus Barnsley. The energy of the fans was something I have never experienced before at a sports event. With these teams not even  being the major teams in England, I assumed we would just get a good game to watch but it was amazing to see how passionate the fans were and how they would react to different situations. There were even times where my dad and I, who understand soccer, had no idea why the fans were cheering or booing! The pride of the stadium was amazing to see and it was an energetic experience I will never forget!

The next thing we did was visit the Museum of London. I have been to this museum before but with a limited amount of time. Going this time around I was able to soak in more and get a better appreciation for all it had to offer. With my dad being a history teacher it was great to see how in awe of the museum he was and how happy he seemed discovering new things. London, overall, has a lot of great and rich history and it is fascinating to compare the differences and similarities between their history and American history. When looking at it, London and the United States have a lot of similar history, such as war, racial disparities, or small communities rich in culture/history. It is interesting to see how the two regions, worlds apart from each other, can share history that is similar in many ways.  

Overall I have loved my dad’s time here. Being able to see him again, explore more of London, and open my eyes to different things has made this week one I will never forget. Since we both love traveling, we have already started to plan the next trip and although I don’t know our destination, I can’t wait to continue our travels!

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to travel outside of London for the first time this semester, and took a trip to Paris! I was in Paris once, the summer before college started, with family and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Paris is such a beautiful city with so much to offer. It’s history, unique culture, and amazing food, made it a destination I knew I needed to revisit during my time abroad. Knowing I was going to be able to go back felt surreal but I was beyond excited to return.
Throughout the trip the group I went with did multiple things. We shopped a lot at many different stores, tried out a lot of different foods, and of course had to visit all the tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower. While reliving this experience with a new group of people, I began to realize something very special. That was, how precious and beautiful life truly is. I realized this on a deeper level the moment I took a bite into a chocolate filled croissant for breakfast. It began to hit me how lucky I was to be experiencing everything I was encountering. From studying in London, to going through a semester long internship, and being able to visit other countries. There are millions of people around the world who may not have this same opportunity and that makes me much more appreciative of all these experiences. I think coming to this realization has helped me continue to grow and appreciate the beauty of life and the sacrifices my family has made for me.
In addition to going through this realization, Paris, in a more concrete sense, was an amazing trip. Something else that’s made this trip more memorable is that I was able to have these experiences with a great new group of friends I made. Reliving the same moments and visiting the same spots from when I went to Paris family, gave me the same goosebumps and feels the second time around. Both times I was able to be with amazing groups of people which made the experience even more worthwhile. Not knowing half of the group of people I would be staying with was a gamble but fortunately everything worked out and I can say I’ve made friends for the rest of the program and, hopefully even longer.
Being the first of the few trips I will be able to take this semester I am very excited to see what lays ahead of me. This experience feels like a dream and I am extremely grateful for every moment. I am looking forward to the next adventure, the people I’ll meet, and the memories I’ll make!