In what city & country is your study abroad program located?
London, United Kingdom
What is something you would like the blog readers to know about you that they wouldn’t know by just looking at you?
My mom is Bolivian and my dad is Bangladeshi, and no one can ever guess my ethnicity.
What is one thing that you are most anticipating about your study abroad experience?
As an Economics and INTS major, I geek out a lot about how international entities (countries, firms, cities, people, what have you) function and position themselves within the world, ranging from jobs to food to transportation to fashion. Academically, London fascinates me. It is one of two cities classified as Alpha++ by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Research Network’s urban classification system, meaning it is one of the most integrated and highly advanced cities in the global economy (the other is New York City). So, the prospect of simply being in an Alpha++ city for a few months and really seeing it from the perspective of someone that lives there is the most exciting to me – I want to know what it’s like to live in such a city that has so much economic, cultural, historical and diverse significance behind it.
Why did you decide to study abroad? or What inspired you to study abroad?
Not counting the fact that a study abroad program is required for the International Studies major, I mostly wanted to go abroad as a personal growth mission. I have never truly lived away from home with my parents, and I think that being abroad in a new country will (hopefully) induce self-growth by forcing me to live on my own in a new place for a while.
When I returned from Prague for the second time, I dedicated my weekdays to rest and productivity. I maxed out on the work I could get done without tiring myself out too much. I really didn’t want to be stressed in Dublin and the following week. I unlocked a new coffee shop in Marylebone called WatchHouse and had the best avocado toast of my life while I worked. I’ve found that my mood improves immensely if I don’t have to walk home in the dark alone after working in a cafe all day. I got my work done for the day and was able to catch some pink clouds from my window when I got home.
The week in London went by in a flash — I was in Dublin before I knew it. Max didn’t get to Dublin until way after me, so I had just about the whole day to explore on my own. I walked around the Temple Bar area and did a few laps around where we were staying, and then I parked myself in a pub for a few hours. My first authentic Irish Guinness did not disappoint. Everyone in the pub was so kind, a much-needed change from Londoners. Once Max arrived, we went out for one Guinness and headed to bed early so we could seize the day on Saturday.
Our plan of going to bed early did not work. We still woke up pretty late. But we had enough time to walk around and explore the area since Max hadn’t seen any of it yet. We walked around during the day before it was time for our time slot at the Guinness storehouse. This was genuinely the most fun I had abroad, I think. We were both in such funny moods, bopping around the different floors and learning fun facts about Guinness. We got a little sample in one room and learned how to taste the beer’s different notes properly. There were big pillars that pumped out the smell of the flavours we were supposed to notice. On another floor, we got our picture taken and then somehow printed (I still don’t understand how it works) onto the foam of a pint. I perfectly split the G. Max was pretty close, but it wasn’t perfect, so his pint isn’t included in the photos. We ended our tour on the top floor, where you could view the city from all angles.
After our tour, we met Darragh and some of his family for dinner. It was such a great time. We spent hours at our table just talking and laughing. Darragh’s family recommended a good, non-touristy bar nearby. We checked it out, but then we remembered who we were. Tourists. So, we walked on down to the Temple Bar, where we snagged a table and made friends with the staff while listening to the live music. This must be the place!
We didn’t seize the day on Sunday either. But it was okay; we explored a different area and had a big late lunch at the Little Pyg. The food was amazing. We did some shopping and explored a different area than we had the day before. On our final night, we wanted one last Guinness. The pints are smiling, but it’s not funny. I was devastated the trip was coming to an end. Of course, one last Guinness turned into two last Guinnesses when we saw the Temple Bar wasn’t super crowded.
Sunday morning was very depressing. I said goodbye to Max at the Dublin airport, then spiraled on the flight back to London, worrying about finding time to finish my finals by Friday. During the week, I put my head down and wrote my essays. Every once in a while, I would change the scenery and go to the Marylebone Corner or Chiltern Street Deli to continue working. My bosses, Claudia and Gaurav, took me to lunch on the last day of my in-person internship.
I’m super proud of all the work I have completed in the few months I worked at Circe. My favourite thing I worked on was my blog posts. My two favourite pieces are linked here and here.
My time management during the week worked out! I finished all my papers by Thursday evening. I submitted my last final and went straight to dinner with my dorm friends for the last time. At the final Gaz’s Rockin Blues, my friends and I danced until we couldn’t anymore. I think the underground St. Moritz club will be one of the places I miss most.
The next three weeks were full of travel. I met up with my friends in Paris for a few nights and travelled with them to Amsterdam for the rest of the week.
The last few months have been full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I am incredibly proud of myself for taking this leap. Now, my time abroad is just memories that I will cherish forever. I am so very thankful for this experience. Thank you for reading!
DU Abroad 