Post-Arrival

By:

Krista Thomas

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Krista Thomas

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hello <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> University of Louisville <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2022 <i>Destination city & country:</i> London, England <i>Program provider:</i> Arcadia <i>Major/minor:</i> Biology / Criminal Justice <i>Demographics:</i> African American/Black, First-Generation College Student <i>Future career aspirations:</i> My goal is to pursue a legal career. The passion for my career choice is rooted in that I’ve seen too many times that underrepresented were give insufficient care that they need to survive. Under no circumstance should anyone feel the need to delay emergency services simple because they are afraid of improper care. Any healthcare professional placed in any hospital should give equal support regardless of what area and type of patients are in the hospital. The ethics of medical professionals are still in question, and this is something that fueled me into pursuing a career into healthcare law. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> My goals are to expand my experience in the legal field, meet new people from around the world, and participate in community service work for the local community.

It is such a sad experience for my study abroad trip to be over. On the last few days of classes, many of my classmates decided to go out and have brunches or dinners together before everyone leaves. I am so glad I had the opportunity to make friends with people from around the world. We even make future plans to visit each other’s home country. A close friend of mine is from Germany but currently lives in Hong Kong. She offered for me to stay with her to visit Hong Kong since she convinced me to go. I appreciate each and every one of the friendships I made overseas and visit some old friends who currently lives in the UK.

Coming back to the States is tough. Adjusting to jet lag is difficult and I start back university very soon. However, I should be able to adjust to the time zone soon enough so that I can finish off my last semester strong. Pro tip with traveling: put apple airtags inside your suitcase. There is an increase of travelers around this time of the year and many people are losing their luggage. At the Heathrow Airport in the UK, there are piles of unclaimed luggage at baggage claims. I strongly suggest investing in airtags, so you can track your luggage yourself. One the plane, I finished off a summer book by Viola Davis called “Finding Me”. An amazing and inspiration book from here.

Overall, my trip was a 10/10. Even though there were 2 heatwaves in the UK, the weather was overall much cooler than in the US, and that is what I loved. On my last night, I visited the London Bridge/Tower Bridge/ The Shard one last time. This is my favorite location to visit at nights and relax. Also, it was not too far from my apartment in East London, so traveling there frequently was never a hassle. Thank you to this organization for the scholarship that helped made my study abroad experience possible!