The Canterbury Cathedral

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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.

For this week, I had planned to do a tour of the Canterbury Cathedral. This outing would also give me another opportunity to practice taking the bus route from home to Canterbury and back. I arrived in Canterbury in time to take the last tour of the day. The admission tickets are not too expensive, but the guided tour of the cathedral has an additional cost. The tour started at 2 pm, and it lasted about an hour and a half. It is so worth it! The cathedral is a beautiful place and very impressive; it is currently undergoing some maintenance work, but that did not detract from the experience. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and always willing to take questions. The cathedral was founded in 597AD, and it used to be the resting place of Archbishop Thomas Becket until King Henry VIII ordered his shrine to be removed. Archbishop Becket was murdered in the Cathedral in 1170, and because of suspected miracles, the cathedral became an important pilgrimage center. The tombs of King Henry IV and Edward, Prince of Wales, are found in the Trinity Chapel, where the tomb of Thomas Becket used to be. Every area of the cathedral is beautiful, but my favorite part was the cloister, located in the monastery. The ceiling has remarkable carvings of shields, faces, and animals. We also visited the Crypt and the Martyrdom, where Thomas Becket was murdered by men under the orders of King Henry II. This week, I also received confirmation that my university registration is complete and that soon I should be receiving my student ID by mail. In addition, my modules are already set up in Moodle, which is like Blackboard. I am glad that little by little, things are falling into place. The university also has planned a series of events during Welcome Week, which I will be attending to gather as much information as possible before the start of classes. Wafaa and I are becoming good friends, we watch TV together, and I help her with things around the house. The other day, I cooked for her to thank her for her hospitality. I have also continued to visit with friends in the neighborhood, who have organized theme dinners; we have had Mexican food night and Chinese food night!