What inspired you to travel abroad?
I was inspired by my peers to go abroad. A lot of my friends told me about their experiences and it really motivated me to take on the experience for myself. I had about 5 friends that took semesters abroad and came back raving about how much fun they had traveling and being able to gain experience working abroad.
I knew that studying abroad would bring a unique experience with being able to work as well as take classes. I took the risk of getting out my comfort zone by living in a new environment and an entirely new culture. It was definitely well worth it.
Luckily, London is only a few hours from other countries. Here is a picture from my time in Mykonos, Greece.
Why did you choose CAPA The Global Education Network?
I chose the CAPA program because I honestly felt like the CAPA program was the best program for me to be successful. I felt CAPA provided me with the best resources to have a safe time studying and working abroad.
Another key factor with me choosing the program was being persuaded by a few of my friends who chose the same program. My friends were able to provide me with a bunch of information on what to expect, which made me extremely comfortable with going abroad.
CAPA had a big presence at my school and was very good at answering any question that I had about the program.
What was your favorite part about London?
My favorite part about studying abroad in London was most definitely the new culture I was able to encounter. The British culture is so much different than American culture and it was such a fun time being able to be introduced to a new way of thinking and living.
Things such as eating different foods from different countries and using different vernacular were things that I remember the most from my time living among the Brits. London is by far the most diverse city that I have ever been in. I was able to see just about every race and ethnicity.
It was such a joy to be able to learn from these people on a daily basis.
This is a picture of me at the famous Camden Market. London is known for its fancy markets all across town!
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What made my experience abroad extraordinary was being able to be a part of a program called Reach the World. I was selected for this program based off of a scholarship that I earned to go abroad.
In this program I was connected with a class of 2nd graders in New Jersey. The class was able to exclusively follow my time abroad as I provided them with weekly pictures, videos, and posts.
This experience made my time abroad extra special as I was able to really articulate everything that I was experiencing and share it with the next generation of future study abroad students.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff at CAPA was extremely helpful on a daily basis while studying abroad and I am so grateful for them.
The staff was able to answer a lot of questions for me during my time abroad. They were very good at providing up-to-date information on the different events that were happening across the city, as well as recommending different things to do.
The best part was that the staff led us on trips and allowed us to really make the most and explore while we were abroad.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
Looking back, the only thing that I would have done differently is plan! I was able to travel to about three different countries (France, Belgium, Greece) but I could have definitely traveled to more.
A lot of my classmates had trips booked before they even came, which allowed them to travel for a cheaper price. I unfortunately did not purchase tickets to travel until I was actually in the country, which ended up being more expensive.
Overall, traveling is by far the best part of being abroad and I wish I could have taken advantage of it more.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical day for me abroad generally went like this: At about 7:00 a.m. every morning I would wake up and make myself breakfast. I loved eating British cereal with scrambled eggs.
Next, my roommate and I would board the train and head to class, which was about 45 minutes away from where we lived. After class, my friends and I would usually grab lunch together and just catch up and hang out.
After lunch we would each individually go to our internship sites for the rest of the day and then head back to our apartments for the rest of the night. We usually would hang out in each other’s apartments all night and then go to sleep, wake up, and do it all over again.
I was super excited to take a selfie with the Mona Lisa.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During my free time, my friends and I enjoyed traveling around the city trying to find things to do. One thing that I loved doing was going to museums. I visited a few museums during my time in London and luckily they were all free.
London is an expensive city but we always found ways to enjoy free perks like this. Another big thing that I enjoyed doing was finding different restaurants to eat at. There are so many cultures and so many types of food to try in London, and I definitely took advantage of it.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I was accommodated with an urban-style, two-bedroom apartment while in London. My apartment came with a bunch of furniture, as well as a TV. The living conditions were really good and I think it made the experience very fun.
Next, we were accommodated with Oyster cards on the trains. The cards allowed us to travel freely around certain areas of the city. This happened to be the best accommodation because you definitely ride a lot of trains and buses on a daily basis, and these expenses add up.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
I think you must know that CAPA is here to help you. They are definitely very friendly and really try their best to help you with any need, want, or desire that you may have. They provide you with a great group of professors who are super friendly and helpful when it comes to adjusting to the classroom setting of the U.K.
CAPA is a program that definitely provides a family atmosphere and definitely does their best at meeting the needs of their students. I think before you start the program, it is best to do your research on what might be some fears you have going abroad and be ready to present them to the people at CAPA.
Would you recommend CAPA to others? Why?
I would 100% recommend the CAPA program to other people. I don't think you will find everything that you find in CAPA with other programs.
While in London, I had another program with students complain to me about not having the support that CAPA provides. CAPA is very communicable throughout the process and very helpful with making sure your experience is comfortable.
Overall, I think CAPA is a well-rounded organization that will definitely help you with anything you need. I think a big thing for me was having the understanding that I was going to be lost at times and even feel overwhelmed.
CAPA was very good at providing a resource for these types of situations and honestly I don't think you can ask for more from a program.
This was my favorite picture from my time abroad. Paris was absolutely beautiful.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit of going abroad is being able to get outside of your comfort zone. I think that it is very important for people to be able to grow and understand themselves as citizens of this world.
Studying abroad is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that every college student should experience. Along with being able to experience different cultures, live on your own, and step outside of your comfort zone, you get to travel for cheap.
Traveling and seeing the world is definitely a great way to be able to grow mature and experience things that you have never encountered before.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Studying abroad has definitely impacted my life tremendously. I think the biggest thing for me has been being able to understand and appreciate different cultures and different ways of living.
A great part of being back has been being able to share my experiences from being abroad with my friends and family. At school, I am in a class with students who have also studied abroad and we all get to discuss and share our experiences with being abroad.
The class allows us to expound upon our experiences and creates an open-minded conversation for all of us to enjoy and learn from.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
What meaningful travel means to me is being able to travel and create memories with a purpose. I believe that traveling is an extreme privilege and I believe that for it to be meaningful that it must be done with the intention of learning things about the places that you travel to.
For example, I think when traveling to different places across the world it’s important to learn about the different cultures and groups of people that you come across. Meaningful travel is a unique and joyful thing and I believe that people should definitely have the opportunity to do it.
