From London to Rome

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Cerys Ramos Davies

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Cerys Ramos Davies

<i>Home Institution</i>: Loyola Marymount University <i>Expected Graduation Year</i>: 2024 <i>Academic Major / Minor</i>: Journalism <i>Destination</i>: London, UK <i>"Hello" in your host country's language</i>: Hello <i>Program Provider</i>: FIE <i>Demographics</i>: Hispanic/Latinx <i>Future Career Goals</i>: My ultimate career goal is to be a music journalist. I grew up with music fanatics as parents. With such early experiences of live music and pop culture, I have developed a passion for all of the conversations and opinions that surround music and music culture. My end goal is to play a role in these kinds of conversations. <i>Top Three Study Abroad Goals</i>: My first goal is to dive head first into the London music scene. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and continue to attend college in the same city. I have only ever been able to fully experience shows and events in LA and I am ready to broaden my music experience by living in London, another music capital of the world; My second goal is to travel and experience as many cities and cultures as possible. I plan to spend my weekends abroad taking as many planes and trains to as many different places. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and I plan to make every second of it memorable; My third goal is to reconnect with my heritage. My father was born and raised in Swansea, Wales. As a young child, we used to spend the summer in Swansea. But as my brother and I grew up and life got busier we stopped making these trips. My father unfortunately passed away from COVID-19 in 2021. I plan to spend my time abroad reconnecting with who he was, working on personal growth, and appreciating my British heritage.

Time is passing faster than I expected. I have been spending every second I can exploring different parts of London. I have been to a few different galleries and museums such as the Tate Modern and the Science Museum. I have loved the market culture here. From Camden market to Notting Hill Market, I feel like I can’t get enough of them. The rows and rows of street food, vintage clothes, antiques, and local businesses feel so much like a community and it genuinely makes me so happy to be able to participate. Vintage and thrift shopping is something I really enjoy. Most of my clothes are either thrifted or have been previously owned. Scouting out the thrifting scene here has been really fun to figure out. In the areas that I have been to so far, some things are curated and expensive, but I love to look even when I can’t afford anything. When walking anywhere on the weekends, it’s impossible not to stumble upon a few different stands or a local shop that might have a few hidden treasures.

During this past weekend, I was able to travel outside of London for the first time. I took this opportunity to see a city I have always wanted to, Rome, Italy. I haven’t traveled much in Europe besides the United Kingdom prior to my semester abroad and this was my first time in Italy. Everything about it was so incredible. From the handmade pasta to casually walking past ancient ruins to seeing works of art that have gone down in history, I am so happy Rome was my first venture outside of London. I have always had a special interest in ancient societies from the Egyptians to the Greeks to the Romans. Seeing the Roman Forum and the Augustus of Prima Porta was an insane experience to the least. I never thought I would see this monumental city and I actually made it happen. I went with my roommate and a friend of ours, but in a sense, this was our first time weekend traveling alone. We finally had the freedom to do everything we wanted and saw everything we needed to see. It was such a memorable experience. I can definitely imagine myself going to Rome again later in life.