UK Reflections
This is an excerpt from my travel journal which was written for my study abroad course "Challenges of Global Business: Cambridge 2016"
Reflections on the UK
I had been to the UK 10 years ago with my immediate family, straight out of graduating from my undergraduate studies at UC Irvine (the trip was a graduation present) seemingly knowing what I wanted out of my life, ready to pursue a career in the medical field. I was prepared to go home after that trip and to start buckling down to study for the MCATs and apply to medical school and let the rest of my life unfold. But, obviously that didn’t happen, and alas, here I was back in the UK--- 10 revealing years later about to finish my MBA degree, in a completely different career path with a pair of new eyes and an open, renewed heart. Personal and career growth, and self-acceptance can do that to you.
As much as I am a city girl at heart, I was not expecting to embrace the countryside university settings of Cambridge and Oxford as much as I did. They were charming in their own right and as I spent more time at these locations, I swore my IQ and my appreciation for these educational institutions rose exponentially.
Most significantly, my shift in career focus came about 5 or so years ago when I stumbled upon the Stanford Social Innovation review and became enamored by the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. I haven’t looked back since. The global city of London would be my focus and my leading source of inspiration because of its centralized location in Europe, its diverse population, and its opportunity for growth even after an international economic crisis. The lectures from Bailey of Strategeeb and Dr. Bender gave me some more insight into what has been done and what to expect from this important part of business. I was also struck by the potential for startups to disrupt the scene – knowing, in part, that social and mobile has only been picking up speed recently in this region. It’s striking to note, that everywhere we dined, even in France, we were the only table with our cellular phones out. Maybe it was the American tourist and exhibitionist in us wanting to record and share our experiences with our family and friends across the pond at that exact moment, but European folks were definitely more engaged in their conversations and we found ourselves, through the course of our stay, tucking our phones away and being more present. This left us with quite the impression, to say the least.
We eased into adjusting to the time difference in Cambridge, and for that, I was grateful because I found a group within our group of students that had similar interests— wine and dine enthusiasts as well as shopping buddies! This group was open to new experiences and had quite the thirst for not only spirits but for the cultural and for the soul. A few of us caught a showing of the musical, the Phantom of the Opera one night and we were touched to tears. It was just one of the many moments that I could remember that moved me and validated my choice to travel abroad and experience new things with some incredible people. Everyone could agree, too, that as a collective, we boosted the economies of every area we visited from our purchases of souvenirs and other tokens of remembrance.
Going into this trip, I was looking forward to Paris more than London and after returning home, I found that I missed my time in London more. The first moment we stepped foot onto Oxford street for our first corporate visit to Featurespace, there was surge of energy and joy that came over me. I was truly happy to be there—I was possessed. It may just have been the areas we frequented, but I observed many professionals close to my age and I was quick to envision myself in their shoes—and their Burberry coats. This was a place where I could belong to or be a part of.