chFor the past year and a half, I have been attempting to study abroad due to the ongoing pandemic. I have had three study abroad programs canceled, and this past spring semester, I opted to do a remote internship in South Australia.

But finally, the Universe smiled on me this summer for me to finally achieve my goal of studying and working in another country!

This summer, I am interning in London with CAPA Global Study Network working on wrongful conviction cases in the UK and finding similar ones in the United States. As a Forensic Science major, this important to me because I want to work for the United Nations, and it is essential to understand the inner workings of different countries’ criminal justice systems.

Per UK government Covid-19 laws, I will be quarantined for the next ten days with my flatmates with no outside contact except when we get food deliveries and packages from Amazon Prime.

My flat is located in North London, in the borough of Islington about a twenty minute ride by train from the City of London.

Along with taking day 2 and 8 PCR tests as required by the UK government and walking to the post box drop off will be our only contact with the outside world.

Luckily, our resident director has set us up with numerous activities for the next few days. For example, the proper way to make a cup of tea! As a tea drinker myself, this came as no surprise to me that you need boiling water, a tea bag (PG Tips is the best just saying), sugar, and the most crucial ingredient, milk!

“Cream is for coffee!” my resident director Claire exclaimed in our zoom call.

In addition to all the virtual activities, my internship and exploring and analyzing London global city classes will start during quarantine. The internship class will prepare us for the workforce by teaching us core values like cultural intelligence.

I am really excited about my Analyzing and Exploring the Global City of London because I am really interested in how London became this multicultural city, where each culture has left its stamp on the town. Learning about the history of the city from the past to the present, how the pandemic changed the future of the city will be most interesting.

I am excited to be out of quarantine soon, to immerse myself into living like a local Londoner. I have already started to craft a list of museums and places to visit. Most importantly, I cannot wait to taste the food! From Cornish pasties to a proper Fish and Chips, and let’s not forget sticky toffee pudding!

I am so excited to take everyone with me on this wonderful journey for the next couple of weeks!