ten day reflection

Being ten days in and catching a moment this evening to reflect on how much I've gotten to see and do and experience since I arrived in the British Isles... I can't help but devote a secton here to saying another thank you to all of the Rotarians that have made this oppotunity for me possible. I feel so blessed to have people at home supporting me and investing their time and money into my educational and personal growth.

I have already learned SO much. Navigating a foreign transportation system and money exchange, not to mention that by being in London temporarily, I have had the chance to be exposed to SO MANY different cultures and this alone has been been a dramatically different experience than I expected. I have to say that my expectation before departing was that I would be dropped into a world of British accents, royal etiquette and "high tea." London, however, has blown me away with its immense diversity. It seems you run into a different culture every three store fronts, if not more often. I have been told that once I arrive in Swansea in another ten days, the British/Welsh culture will be notably more concentrated. With that in mind, I feel my experience getting to be in London for a couple weeks has been unique and priceless. I've tried new foods (more on this later), chatted with people from backgrounds I've never been around before, and heard languages truly foreign to any of my previous exposure.

Thank you, again, Rotarians, for believing in the educational scholarship programs! I am so thankful for this opportunity!