Trip to the Guardian

My time spent abroad was such a life changing experience. Not a day goes by that I don't catch myself day dreaming about Europe or talking about London. Living in such an eventful and exciting city like London, constantly traveling and being on the go, and always having something do really sparked something inside me. Some could call it a thirst for more, which is something I was warned about prior to going abroad -- "The Travel Bug."

Nevertheless, living on my own in a foreign country and traveling to places where little English was spoken really forced me to grow up and become independent. It even forced me to reevaluate many things in my life that I thought were relevant and significant, broadened my interests, and forced me to discover hidden talents I had yet to explore. While I thought I was losing certain interests and skills, in retrospect I was gaining much more. For example, I have found myself losing interest in the trivial less significant things like weight-lifting, partying and what not, and now spend that time traveling around, learning as much as I can, honing in on my journalism and photography skills.

I have come to the realization that a lot of this interest was sparked when while working with YH World (Young Hackney). While interning at YH World, we took a trip the Guardian and we had the opportunity to get advice from some of the star journalist. The Guardian, originally called The Manchester Guardian, was founded by John Edward Taylor in 1821. Today the Guardian is home to over 600 journalists and takes over 3.5 floors in an awesome building next to Kings Cross station. The "we" that were present were the 30-something students from all around the world representing the top universities in higher education. The three things that I took away from the discussion were that:

1. There are a lot of people out there with the same interests trying to find ways to compete against you, some of which were in that very room. Thus, we must constantly find new ways to make ourselves stand out.

2. Times have changed. no longer being the first on the scene of a crime now that technology has improved so even the police have a twitter feed. Instead its about investigating. getting the exclusive and breaking stories.

3. You cant be shy! Must be outgoing and willing to put yourself out there when meeting people. Sometimes all you have is a 1st impression, no second chances. 

Madrid ✈ ✈ ✈

The Best Trip Yet!

First sight of Spain

Throughout my time abroad I have have been to France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, The Czech Republic and various places throughout the United Kingdom. When I was applying for Grinnell-in-London, I had one goal for myself: See all I can, while I can!

In my visit to Madrid alone, I saw so much I do not even know where to begin! Therefore, I think I will split up the trip into three series. First I'll start with markets, museums, clubs?

St. Augustine once said, "the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." The world has a lot to offer. Traveling is a way for one to learn about the world in its entirety. People are able to learn new languages as well as be immersed in new cultures and religions. 

Grinnell-in-London has allowed me the opportunity to travel abroad and become immersed in a new culture and environment. It has granted me the opportunity to learn from others first hand, as opposed to learning about different cultures and forms of governments via textbooks. Traveling abroad has allowed me grow and increase my level of independence as I approach adulthood.