Hi! My name is Juliana and in May 2017, I participated in the MUNDO Multicultural Histories and Legacies of Rome and London trip. I spent a month abroad with 23 other Ohio State students and learned adversity and prejudice people must overcome in different parts of the world. Through service, I was shown the struggles people face every day and learned how communities have changed over time. The trip offered insight to the impact of diversity, or lack of it, in these communities.
Spending a month in a new country, with new people, truly changed my outlook on life. Before this trip, I had never been away from home for a month or out of the country. Embarking on a trip with people I barely knew was a big step in my life. I became responsible for my own well-being, health, and finances without having my parents right down the street from me in case I fail. By the end of the trip, I had made lifelong friends and realized personal goals I have for myself and the things I need to do and prioritize to reach those goals and had become a leader in my own life. When I got home, my interests and priorities had changed relative to those goals.
My assumption of the world was that it was similar to the United States. The U.S. is a great big “melting pot”, so I figured I was aware of diversity. Both cities, particularly London, had so much more diversity than I imagined. There were people from every race, religion, and country in central London. I was worried that I would be stereotyped harshly and possibly treated poorly because I am American, but it was exactly opposite. Everyone I met and talked to was so nice and genuine. After some of our tours, I realized that life in other places of the world isn’t as glorious as the TV might make it look and that there are hardships all around.
While in London, there was a terrorist attack in Manchester. The attack took place at an Ariana Grande concert, which was full of young females simply enjoying their favorite artist. After the concert, a suicide bomber detonated a homemade bomb at one of the exits of the arena. Twenty-three adults and children died in the attack and 250 people were injured. Even though we were staying a couple of hours away from the attack, we felt the effects. London was on high alert for terrorist threats and there was an increase in police presence. I knew that I needed to be more aware of my surroundings and know what was happening in the world. Even though I never felt unsafe during my trip, I knew that at any point something could happen and I needed to be ready to react. This was a learning and growing experience for me and while the event was very tragic, it was a life lesson for all of us on our trip.
A key interaction that we had on our trip was with the British League of Muslims in London. Our meeting with the league was just a day after the news broke of the Manchester terror attack. The attacker was identified as a British Muslim from London. Many students felt uncomfortable meeting with the group in light of the recent events that had taken place. I chose to go to the meeting and got to witness first hand to the prejudice that Muslim citizens face every day. While at our meeting, I learned so much about the religion and culture that I had never previously been aware about. I feel like I have been living in the dark all of these years because I was so ignorant toward every religion besides my own. When I learned about the laws, traditions, and culture of the Muslim religion, as well as the other religions we touched on during our trip, I want to educate myself more so that I understand the world better.
The relationships that I built during my step project were truly life changing. I made lifelong friendships with people who are as passionate and dedicated as me. Before we left Port Columbus, I had not spent more than two hour periods with anyone on the trip. I went from spending no time with everyone to spending every waking moment with them. As we built our friendships, we started talking about our future plans, what we aspire to be and what our beliefs are. The goals that many of us have set aligned and it we pushed each other to be better people on the trip. During our service abroad, the girls in my group were able to have an amazing experience because of the relationships we had formed and how comfortable we were with each other. The people you surround yourself with truly shape who you will be and I could not have asked for a better group of people to explore different cultures with and explore the world with.
The change and development that I experienced has helped my vision of my future become clearer. After being in Rome and London, I have become even more driven to find my place within the business world and succeed as well as to take into account the cultures I am surrounded with. Since this trip, I have been more aware and understanding of different cultures and religions after speaking with members of those groups. By taking a step back and trying to understand, I believe I will be better community member and human. While in the business district of London, I realized that I want to work in a city similar to London, possibly even London itself. My professional goals relate to getting a job in a city where I am happy and can thrive. While I want to be successful, I also want to give back to those who are not as fortunate as myself. Volunteering with the Brent foodbank in London showed me the struggles that people face every day and how even the smallest amount given to them may help. Without seeing all of this first hand, I don’t know if I would be filled with this same fire inside me to make a difference in my life and in others.
Trevi Fountain
Pisa
Westminster, London