What inspired you to travel abroad?
What really inspired me to go abroad was the way I was raised. My family and I have been traveling ever since I was born. My dad is from Venezuela and my mom is from Lebanon. They are both culturally diverse and raised me to be the same. Since I got to college I only ever wanted to go abroad and see Europe since we have only traveled to Aruba, Venezuela, the Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Kits, Brazil, Cozumel, and other places in Central America. London has so much history which I knew I could always use in my future, so I chose to go here and I am glad that I did. It was a beautiful city with so much to see and I plan on returning in the future.
British Guards standing outside of the Palace!
Why did you choose CAPA?
I chose this CAPA program because I knew that it would be used towards credit for my major and I have always wanted to go to Europe. Initially, my first choice had been Florence, Italy but I was accepted into the London program earlier than the Italian one so I decided to commit to going to England. This is not a choice I regret in the slightest. London had to have been one of the most amazing adventures I have ever been on and I plan on going back there again. Additionally, I was interested in the Sociology of Food course and wanted to learn more about it. I thought it would have a lot more to do with the cultural food in London but we did not just focus on this. We learned a lot more than I expected.
What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
My favorite part about my host city was living in the dead center of Camden. We lived in a hostel right across from the Camden market which was really cool since that is one of the places people always recommend to visit. The market was full of all different kinds of foods and shops. Most of us got gifts for our families from there. Another thing which I loved was how close we were to the tube. It was only about a 5 to 10 minute walk from where we stayed and it took about 30 minutes to get to the CAPA building which was also in the center of London. Having class in this building allowed us to see the city immediately after class. Specifically, the Victoria & Albert museum that was right next to it.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What made my experience abroad extraordinary was the opportunities to see the city which we were given throughout the trip. Since the CAPA location was so close to the center of London we have so many chances to go around and see what London had to offer us. We visited St. John's Cathedral, the "Winter wonderland" by the Victoria & Albert Museum, The London Eye, and our professor, Debi, scheduled a few events for us to see musicals and dance performances. One performance was Swan Lake by Matthew Bourne. This particular event was special for me since I danced for 13 years and Swan Lake was one of my favorite performances. This version though was much different. It took a drastic shift making it dark and intriguing. If you haven't seen it I recommend, you should!
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Local staff did an OUTSTANDING job at supporting us throughout our program. Before we departed we received emails from both our professor and the CAPA staff telling us what we needed to know for pre-departure, how to get to the StayClub from the airport and what to do in case of an emergency. They also informed us about an important app called AlertTraveler. The app basically informs you of any activity going on in your area or in the surrounding countries. As we arrived at the StayClub, a CAPA staff member met with our group to go over the rules of staying at the hostel, where our classes would take place, what is and is not illegal in the area and to warn us about the motorcycle gangs. She took down all of our number and made sure we had hers just in case we ever ran into any trouble, which we never did.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
In all honesty I do not really wish I did anything different. If there had to be one thing it would probably be to take more pictures even though I already have over three hundred of them haha. Another thing may have been to travel to places I have always wanted to visit like Amsterdam. The group I was with ended up visiting Dublin, Ireland which was beautiful and we had such a fun time but I really do regret not going to Amsterdam. I have a friend who lives there and one of the other girls I was with wanted to go but it is not always safe for two females to be traveling alone around Europe so we decided to do what the rest of the group was doing. Besides these two things I would not have done anything else differently!
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
For my study abroad experience, a type day abroad definitely varied. One thing that was usually constant was that we had class almost every single day but our class schedules and where class was held was always changing. For our very first class we met at the StayClub in an area which looked like a big hangout room. This was also New Years Day so most of us were not looking too good haha. For the rest of our formal class sessions we would take the tube to central London and meet at the CAPA building where we would have class from around 10am-3pm everyday. After class most of us would split up and visit the city together. On the days where we did not have a formal class setting, we were required to go to a specific destination such as the Museum of London Docklands, Museum of London or another museum where we had to fill out an assignment or write a paper. It was really cool. Some of our classes required us to go to different areas in London. We were able to do work for class and see the city at the same time.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
Our accommodations were at a cute little hostel in the middle of Camden. The place we stayed at is called the Camden StayClub. It was very safe and secure and you needed to have a room key in order to walk in through the front gates. The rooms were pretty small and had two beds, bunk beds, and a small kitchen across from a desk. We were assigned random roommates through a personality sheet which we were given pre-departure. Most of us were staying with people we had never met before. I was assigned to a girl I had never met before and I honestly assumed it was someone from Singapore since that's who many others matched up with. I can honestly say I am so happy I did not know my roommate beforehand. This allowed me to create a brand new friendship and bond with someone with similar interests. We ended up doing yoga at the top of the Tower Bridge together and we still stay in touch! She was such an amazing person to live with in those few weeks and from my experience, random roommates are never a bad thing!
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Before entering this program every future participant should know that this is not all just fun and games. Yes you should be excited to be in a new country that offers you so many opportunities but you have to remember that you are still here for school work and there will be a lot of school work given to you. We were required to write papers one to two times a week, we had class every morning where we had to be on time and if we weren't our grade would reflect it and our professor had scheduled mandatory events which we had to go to. Although the events were mandatory they were still a lot of fun! Everything CAPA and Debi had planned out for you, is for your benefit. Everything we did, even the school work, was a positive aspect for my abroad experience.
Would you recommend CAPA to others? Why?
I would definitely recommend my program to others because it was such a great experience, anyone who does not take all of this opportunity is really missing out. Studying abroad with CAPA was one of the best decisions I have made. It opened me up to new possibilities to get a better understanding of a new culture and allowed me to meet tons of new people who have similar interests as me. I was also able to create strong friendships with my roommate who I had never met before and a few other girls from my University. In addition to that, I created bonds with people from a completely different culture than mine. It is crazy how close I was able to get with everyone just after a three and a half week journey.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit to traveling abroad is learning new cultural norms and behaviors. Being secluded to one part of the world can really impact your perspective and the way you act around others who live in different cultures. While I was in London I was able to learn the way people act in public. Most of the time, even if it is a stranger, many people greet each other with "Cheers!" It is basically like saying thank you, hello, cool, I mean anything really. It is a universal term they use with a very positive and uplifting meaning. If you were not accustomed to British culture you may be a bit confused as to why people keep screaming cheers at each other, I certainly was. Another benefit of studying abroad is meeting people from different countries and backgrounds. I was able to create many new relationships with people from Singapore which was something I probably would not have been able to do if I did not study abroad in London.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Now that I'm home my time abroad has really impacted my life. It has given me a whole new perspective on The United States and our living accommodations. Living in the city of London was a completely different lifestyle than living in Buffalo, NY. First of all it is a city and the means of transportation really consists of the Tube, buses and taxis. It usually is not recommended to have your own car in London. Another thing which has changed my life is the people I met while abroad. I made so many new friends which expanded my connections and networks. I became closer with people from my school which I had never really talked to before and now I have friends who live in Singapore! Before this trip I would have never imagined being so close to people who live in Singapore which is a really amazing thing.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaningful travel means you are able to have a greater perspective on different cultures throughout the world. To travel to one place just to say you have been there does not really mean anything. Meaningful travel is when you go to another country no matter how similar or different from your own and learn something brand new about it. Whether it is a new fashion taste, culinary means, or even a new language, there is always something you can learn from other countries. Whenever I travel my main goal is to embrace that country's culture. Doing so makes traveling so much more enjoyable and you actually get something out of what you are paying for.
