It is so easy to visit places and just enjoy the scenery while
you are vacationing. This study abroad trip has really opened up my mind and
enabled me to become more of a global citizen. While in London, I was able to
look outside of the box and really take in the differences of the way we live here
in America versus in England.
The biggest difference to me was the price of living and
eating while abroad. The eating prices in London were more expensive than what
we would pay in America. The food was always amazing, but almost every day it
was hard to order what you really wanted to get because of the expensive price.
Here in America people are constantly stating how expensive everything is and
always complain about not having enough money. While being abroad I realized
just how great we have it here at home. Our food is really not that expensive
and the cost of living is really affordable especially with how much we make.
In London, lots of really nice houses that had more space and bigger yards than
most were a couple hundred thousand pounds. Just that price tag alone makes me
cringe. Plus, living on a salary of a police officer there would make your cost
of living higher than what you actually would be making. I think here in
America we are able to afford pretty much what we need and mostly what we want
without having to worry too much. This really made me realize that in different
countries everything really is different and sometimes it takes you
experiencing their culture to really realize that.
To me, I feel that I am a more global citizen because of
this study abroad experience because I was able to notice all the differences
of the cultures in England compared to the United States. I really enjoyed my
two weeks in London, but it sure is great to be back home. It is also great go
out to supper with my husband and only spend $16 for supper instead of about 35
pounds. Being able to understand and see the differences in the cost of food
and living enables me to be a more global citizen.
I thought this study abroad trip helped me to also look outside the box. It helped to not just enjoy the scenery and the things we did. It also helped us to understand that not everyone lives the same, and that it doesn't make it wrong to be different. As we have discussed, the prices in England were a huge difference. I did enjoy most of the food, but a person would have to alter their spending if they actually lived in London. Constable Watson told us that it would almost be impossible to afford things as a new officer in London. I can second it that it was nice to go out and spend $16 dollars for supper, rather than 35 pounds ($53 dollars). Constable Watson told us one day that when him and his wife went to Texas that he couldn't believe the prices. He told us how a bottle of nail polish there was something like $1 compared to what would have been $50 dollars there.
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