Last Updated on November 18, 2013 by
Teyonna, a self described communications gal and Southern belle, is one of our awesome Alumni Ambassadors. Needless to say, she had a blast in London and took the time to share with us a little of her experience and why she is so enthusiastic about study abroad.
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I studied abroad in London during the Spring 2013 semester and, like many of you, had a life changing experience while abroad! I expected to learn a lot about the world and improve my geography skills, but I didn’t think I would learn so much about myself and my capabilities. Studying abroad gave me a boost in confidence to follow my dreams, even if they seem far-fetched to some people.
I loved that London was so diverse, yet so rich in its own culture. One minute I could be in Piccadilly Circus, a touristy area of town, and then the next I could be in East London where the hipsters roam. Being there for four months confirmed that I am a city girl at heart. I loved that there was never a dull moment. Even the simple pleasures, like having a picnic in Hyde Park, meant the world to me. The next time I go to London (and there WILL be a next time), I want to go when it’s warmer because the rainy weather was not pleasant. Despite the bad weather, studying abroad in London was one of the best decisions of my life!
As I previously mentioned, camels are my favorite animal, so one of the highlights of my semester abroad was being able to ride one when I went to Marrakesh, Morocco in April 2013. Going to Morocco was my favorite trip because it was a location that most people in my program didn’t think of visiting. And I had the best time there! The weather was amazing, and the people were incredibly friendly — they loved to drink mint tea with me and my friend and hear stories about life in America. Going to Morocco really put a lot of things into perspective for me. For one, the exchange rate was in my favor, as one US dollar was a little over eight Moroccan Dirhams. We visited a village and saw how some Moroccans lived. Despite the fact that some Moroccans were poor compared to American standards, they seemed happy. My trip to Morocco helped me see that if some people who don’t even have a fraction of what I have, had so much to be thankful for, then so did I.
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And that is why we love international education. Happy International Education Week! Read more from Teyonna on her blog and find out more about study abroad in London on our website.
