FINAL PROGRAM REFLECTIONS
REFLECTION
The most valuable skills I gained while studying abroad are:
Critical Thinking - During the London parks quest, my team got a little lost or we would second guess ourselves and so I helped out by staying calm and double-checking ourselves so we knew we were going the right way. I also managed to ask for help when I needed it from those around me, allowing me to get over any anxieties that might've come from doing so.
Stress Management - One time during a long day I felt stressed out as I was becoming overstimulated but instead of breaking down, I took a step back, put my headphones on, and relaxed. I didn't want to have a breakdown or lash out at someone who didn't deserve it so instead I took some time to myself to calm down.
Confidence - I managed to walk up to people during the London parks quest to ask for directions instead of holding myself back in fear of "looking stupid" or any other anxieties that could've held me back. Also when I spoke up for Deja at Burger King in London regarding her order.
Motivation/Initiative - One night, Chai and I stayed up and buckled down to get our portfolios updated which required a lot of motivation especially since we were in a bit of a mental slump as we got wrapped up in all the fun things to do.
Adaptability - When first figuring out the public transit in London, I fell into the habit of noticing what the locals were doing around me and quickly adapted by following what they were doing and moving in the same flow as them.
Being back home feels almost surreal, I feel like I am gonna wake up and be in my hotel room in Munich again eating ice cream bars while watching Netflix feeling buzzed about what we’re gonna do next. It feels comforting to be in my bed again and have my own space but once I settle back into that I just want to go back out there. I was telling my mom about how I wish I could just walk through a door and be in another country but have the security to walk back through that door again and be in the comfort of my own home. It is an experience I will never forget and one I would do a million times over. This was something that I still can’t believe is over. On the plus side, I have data on my phone again which is nice and doesn’t stress me out as much. Despite that though, I plan to be back again, it won’t be the same experience but it is one I will look forward to and one I plan to make many memories during.
Three things I will miss are the variety of restaurants in England such as the easy access to good Jamaican and Indian food. I plan to travel to states with more variety to relive those amazing memories. I miss the closeness of everything so I plan on visiting downtown more just to have that similar feeling again. Most of all, I miss my hotel room in Munich. I can’t do much about this except reflect on the good times and buy Magnum chocolate ice cream bars, melt them a little, and eat them out of a wine glass to recreate the good old days of this amazing trip.
I also learned a lot through our excursions and they helped me build upon what we discussed in class. The embankment shows how the river still has an impact on the way London is designed. There was also the BMW Welt which shows the huge car culture of Munich and how deep that history runs. Along with this are the transit systems of both cities which put in perspective how effective these systems are along with how they had to develop over time from using less complicated maps to being mindful of the prevalent car culture of the city. This trip was full of learning opportunities and I am so glad to have been able to be a part of this!