God Save the Queen!

The University of Pittsburgh prides itself on inclusion and diversity, championing for immersion in cultures from around the world. In the summer of 2018, with the help of the Pitt Study Abroad office, I embarked on my own global adventure. London was calling, and I had to pick up the phone.

For all the wild at heart and adventurous in spirit, studying abroad is the perfect option for you. When it comes to studying abroad, you can choose an entire semester program or an expedited 6 week excursion in the summer like I did. Let me tell you first and foremost-- 6 weeks is not NEARLY enough time to see all of London. But, man, did I make a valiant effort to make it happen. Honestly, I could write an entire book about my experience (audiobook available with me reading it in a British accent of course), but for time's sake, I've compiled a list of my top 5 favorite things about London and some of my favorite snapshots of the city below:

1. THE ROYAL WEDDING. Yes, I landed in London 3 DAYS before Harry and Meghan tied the knot. The city was mayhem. I required 12-14 business days to recover from my excitement, and quite frankly, I'm still not over it.

2. The accents. Not to be dramatic, but I could listen to British people talk all day.

3. Portobello Road in Notting Hill. A mile long stretch of food and craft vendors from all over the world? Plus those rows of pastel colored houses that cost more than I'll ever make in my lifetime? Sign. Me. UP!

4. The street art. When I say it's everywhere, it's everywhere-- on the sides of buildings, the top of lamp posts, embedded into the very street you walk on-- & it's amazing. I actually took a 2 & 1/2 hour tour around Whitechapel that was strictly about street art.

5. Traveling to Bath. So many other cities/ countries are so easily accessible from London. Hop on The Tube, a bus, a train, a plane. It's simple and typically so cheap. My favorite place I visited beyond London was Bath where we literally got to see where ancient Roman men and women bathed-- it was great.

During my 6 weeks in London, I was enrolled in two courses on top of an internship with a global influencer marketing agency known as Billion Dollar Boy. Doing an internship abroad may not be for everybody. For me, however, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. As part of my degree program, I was required to complete 120 hours of an internship to graduate. So, hello? Of course I was going to do it in London, one of the biggest, most beautiful global hubs in the world. Spending so much time in class and in the office did take away from my opportunities to explore as much as other students, but the experience I gained and the connections I made made everything worth while. To this day, I stay connected with my co-workers via email and social media and know that they would welcome back in a heartbeat with open arms, tea, and crumpets in the event that I decide to visit London again. Plus, it's pretty cool to be able to sprinkle a few, "oh yeah my friends back in London..." in conversation every once in a while.

If you're interested in studying abroad, I highly recommend seeking out help from the Pitt Study Abroad office located in the William Pitt Union. They are there to answer any and every question you may have, so please take advantage of their resources. As for the Pitt in London program specifically, I just can't say enough good things about my experience. Safe travels!