Paris and Ending My Program

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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.

When my family left London, my older cousin came to London and we got to spend some quality time together. She wanted to take me to Paris for the weekend as a birthday present and I was so excited. The last time I was in Paris I was 3 and I barely remember it. Now I was going to experience the city as an adult. I loved traveling with my cousin. We got to share so many new experiences together and I fell in love with Paris. It is such a beautiful place with such an incredible culture. My favorite thing about Paris was the cafes. Not only was the food delicious, but the idea of sitting along the sidewalk, people watching and spending quality time with someone is really a thing to appreciate. From the Mona Lisa to the Eiffel Tower, we did everything we wanted to. I will definitely be going back to Paris. Then only a few days after my cousin left London, it was time for me to finish up my classes, end my internship, and move out of my flat. The way that time worked this semeseter was really mind-bending. It felt like I had been in London forever, but it also felt like we all moved in yesterday. I am so eternally grateful for this past semester. I feel like I took every opportunity I had and am leaving with no regrets. I feel like I have really grown up here. I think I really did find myself within these last few months. I am heartbroken that this incredible experience is over. It feels weird to be leaving after building a life here, but London will always be here and we all do have to go home. Luckily, I am headed to South Wales for the next week to spend some time and reconnect with family. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing my London experience. I loved every second of study abroad and would do it all over again in a heart beat.