Porto

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Romina Pinto

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Romina Pinto

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hello <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> University of South Carolina <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2022 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Canterbury, United Kingdom <i>Program provider:</i> University of Kent <i>Major/minor:</i> Major: International Studies Minor: Linguistics <i>Demographics:</i> First-generation, non-traditional <i>Future career aspirations:</i> After graduation, I would like to pursue a master's degree abroad in Global Security and Borders or in Violence, Terrorism, and Security. My goal is to be a part of an international project or international nonprofit organization to help bring the best practices to law enforcement or assistance generally, to improve the lives of people. Especially vulnerable communities, where families face violence or other critical issues that threaten their safety and impede their development and progress. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1- Broaden my knowledge and gain the necessary expertise to strengthen my professional competencies regarding international cooperation and international security matters. 2- Increase my understanding regarding the UK's new role in Europe as the Brexit process takes place and how this affects the UK and neighboring countries. 3- Engage with a diverse community from whom I can draw more insight and different perspectives into the world, as well as establish lasting friendships and a network of contacts to further a cultural and professional collaboration.

This week, I started writing my third essay for the module on the United Nations. I have already finished essay number two for the module on Foreign Policy Analysis and Management. I made the necessary revisions, and it is ready to be submitted. The seminars are getting even more interesting, as in some of the modules, we are moving from lectures on theory to case studies. As we get closer to the end of the term, students and professors are more focused on the essay topics and how to prepare to write a good essay. The atmosphere is also changing around Canterbury as Christmas lights and decorations are going up around the city. This Friday, I took a trip to Porto, Portugal, to see my daughter. She is studying there, and we have been looking forward to seeing each other. The flight only took two hours. I arrived late Friday night, but on Saturday, we walked all day around Porto and visited the main places of interest like the Porto Cathedral. It is a lovely city, very charming with lots of history. Its architecture is beautiful, and azulejos can be seen in the exterior and interior of churches and other historic buildings. The center of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes the Luiz I Bridge as well. The sights in Porto are gorgeous! On Sunday afternoon, we went to the city center again, walked around town, and visited the Lello Bookstore, which is one of the oldest bookstores in Europe. It is also said that writer J.K. Rowlings was inspired by it when describing Flourish & Blotts, a bookstore in the Harry Potter books. We are planning to go by the beach on Monday. We have had a lovely weekend together, but I also brought my computer with me to continue working on my third essay. I will travel back to the UK on Tuesday in time for my seminar on Wednesday.