This past week I participated in an event that I have been excited about since September of 2018 when I first started talking about London and my future career as a florist: the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival!!
As per usual, I went alone but in doing so I was able to drink things in at my own pace and revisit places without the fear of making someone else bored or unhappy I used this opportunity to broadened my understanding of the garden industry beyond just soil, fertilizer, seeds, and basic tools to hats, boots, sheds, decorations and the many more sectors there are.
To satisfy my general thoughts of what kind of education I need in order to satisfy the qualifications needed to work in my career field, I like to ask local florists questions. At this festival, I did no different. I discovered that in the UK, although the AIFD (which is a global certification for florists) is recognized, it is not very popular and not necessary to practice.
I could still get by with the AIFD certification but for the UK, I should at least Level 2 of the City and Guilds certification, as most professional florists have this certification. City and Guilds cover a wide range of trade fields such as electrical engineering, hair styling, teaching, and (insert one more). Of course, I would love to live and practice in London but with the uncertainty around Brexit, I do not want to make a solid plan for an investment so vital to my success until Brexit is resolved and the floral industry is taken into account.
This past weekend I went to Brighton, a famous beach city where some famous British people live. I never miss the opportunity to see a garden and some flowers so as we adventured through Brighton, we wandered through two gardens and saw the Royal Pavillion that a lot of tourists like to visit because of its gorgeous architecture.
Through Brighton may not be the first English city people think of, we did a lot of firsts when we went there. For breakfast, we tried this trendy looking restaurant that I had low expectations for but it did wow me! I had a bacon bagel and it looked and tasted good! (How many times do I have to tell myself to watch those expectations?)
Brighton’s beach was the first ever pebble beach I have ever been to and must I say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Unlike sandy beaches, I don’t leave with sand in hidden crevices I didn’t know had. Because there was an overcast, we didn’t swim at the beach but I did dip my toes in the water.
As an island girl, I love water. The sound, the atmosphere, the aesthetic, everything. (But I still cannot swim well enough to enjoy it to its full capacity.) The rocks were so comfortable to lay down on, to the point where I almost fell asleep multiple times while at the water’s edge. But the water was so aggressive that I had to run away from the water (after my companions having multiple funny videos of me crab running and crawling frantically away from the water.
Nonetheless, it was so much fun! I have not been to the beach since I was in Jamaica last December so it was a nice feeling to be back in an environment that I have been used to since I was born.
My second week at my internship was just as busy as my first. I know it will be better for me in the long run that I experienced an internship where I was challenged to think differently and be more adaptable as well as more quick-witted.
If this is what work is like when you’re interning, imagine what it’s like when you own a business. I am not reconsidering my idea to be an entrepreneur but I am definitely starting to examine what skills I currently have and how I can expand my skill range and improve myself to be a qualified entrepreneur.
Not to mention the fact that my supervisor is motivating me to work hard and become a female entrepreneur that will inspire other young girls to believe in themselves and propel them to seek higher education.
Having women who have Master’s degrees around me and also seeing other girls on my study abroad program seek master’s degrees has been pushing me to believe in myself more. When I first started college, I wanted to pursue a combined degree of a Master’s in International Business.
Unfortunately, after a year at my college, I started to doubt my intelligence and capabilities, and feelings of inadequacy led me to decide not to pursue another degree, to the point where I was adamant that I did not need another degree. Studying abroad has taught me that I am capable and more than intelligent enough to pursue a Master’s degree.
If I could convince numerous scholarships that I am one of the best candidates to fund for a semester abroad, I can prove to a Master’s program that I am worthy of a Master’s degree. I will choose to believe in myself and push myself when doubts are clouding my perspective.
It only tools my Godmother, who is my mentor and closest family member to elicit the thought of another degree for me to be convinced and be excited to move forward with my college education. Be that spark for someone else and witness their growth into a forest fire of self-confidence and perseverance.