Well it has been about almost 2 years since my time in London and a little over 1.5 years since I graduated from the University of Hawai'i.
Life looks and feels different... I'm now working full time as a financial advisor - analyst back in my hometown of Seattle, WA and was lucky enough to land a job a top firm with Brighton Jones. My new career is very fulfilling and has a lot of ups and downs. I've struggled to work remote and miss the comradery of being in the office and having team mates and a cohort to talk to on a daily basis. Although we try and catch up via virtual happy hours life is very different then what I imagined it to be at this point. I've decided to start writing in this again in hopes of getting more of my thoughts out into the world and re establish what my goals are for 2021. The previous year was great and had a lot of personal challenges.. I definitely struggled with my break up and the emotional heft and trust that was broken deep in my soul that came along with it (TOUGH). At times confidence in my work ethic or even what my future was starting to look like. I've come to terms with those things and hope to focus on being grateful for those challenges as it helps to shape my character and outlook on life. 2021 I'm ready to take you on and grab life by the horns. My primary goal is to be thankful for the opportunities that life has handed to me and the experiences I've had. I want to use those experiences to propel myself to my next stage in life, whatever and wherever that may be... Anyways I'll probably start using this more as a journal to check in with myself. I doubt anyone reads this. haha. I have learned a lot from my study abroad experience that I will use in my future. My newly found independence and viewpoint of this world on a much more global perspective will help me in my future business endeavors. My new skills of improved networking skills, increased ability to adapt to a new world full of change, and a new ability to lead through the face of adversity. I have made many new connections with my mates from the University as well as my professors who have given me a lifetime of lessons in this short amount of time.
My study abroad has deepened my passion for entrepreneurship. My career path is still towards investment banking or financial planning but has inspired me to one day acquire my own business. Other possible opportunities include working internationally at a financial firm or a bank. After working with many international students, I am looking forward to working in a multinational company. Over the semester I have learned that anything is possible if you have the courage to go out and seek what is in your destiny. Most of the time I found that the only thing getting in the way of what I wanted was my own fears. I learned that others struggle with the same fears and misconceptions that I do. The world is a big place and I am ready to mark my place in this world by first starting a legacy that can contribute to a better world and give back to the community. I’ve grown by becoming less selfish and love change rather than fear it. I’ve grown to see that there is a much bigger world then our front yards and the potential for my destiny is boundless. I would recommend that everyone takes a semester to study abroad. My semester in London, England has taught me more life lessons in three months than a year in school could teach me. Moving to another country opened up my eyes to new opportunities that I never thought would be possible. The world is filled with history at every corner and learning more about it gives you a deeper appreciation and new perspective on the landscape of the world. Studying in the United Kingdom opened up the opportunity for me to travel all over Europe at a much cheaper price point. Other countries were only two-three hours away rather than halfway across the world. My classes were only on Mondays and Tuesdays allowing me to explore different places on my days off. I was able to travel to over eight different countries in just three months. I was able to make new connections at the University of Roehampton that turned into family. In this time I learned a lot about myself and what it truly meant to be independent. The more I explored and saw new places the less scared I was of being alone and began to embrace the challenge of meeting new people, eating strange food, and experiencing different cultures. I opened up myself to new possibilities creating a deeper hunger for exploration and adventure to see the rest of the world. I learned that the only thing stopping me from seeing the world was my own fear and misconceptions of traveling alone. Most importantly I proved to myself that I was completely capable of doing everything on my own. My confidence was boosted in myself and my ability to do anything I put my mind to. List of top ten helpful hints for studying abroad at the University of Roehampton
One of my favourite social programme events hosted by Roehampton was our weekend trip to Wales. The social programme is trips provided by the University to help students explore the United Kingdom and learn more about its history while getting to participate in some events in central London.
The Social Programme included: Greenwhich Cruise Wicked Stonehenge and Roman Bathhouses Wales 2 day trip Jack the Ripper tour Cambridge My weekend tour was packed with various events and tours that taught us about the history of Wales the Land of the Red Dragon. Our first day we went to Caerlon, The Welsh capital Cardiff and Caerphilly Castle. Caerlon was a quick pit stop where they showed us an old gladiator stadium and old housing units. On our stop to Cardiff, we got lucky and there was a Wales rugby match going on. The streets were filled with Welsh supporters partying the day away and celebrating the match. We ate lunch at some local restaurants got some red dragons painted on our faces to show support and tried some delicious Welsh cakes. Caerphilly castle was an amazing site in itself. The castle was well maintained and had a majority of the towers still standing and a giant moat to keep invaders away. Day 2 we visited the Big Pit Mining Museum an underground tour and Tintern Abbey an old church ruin. The most memorable of the tours was our excursion to an underground mine museum. We gathered in groups of 12-15 and were guided into a pitch black mine with only headlamps to light the caverns. There wasn't very much room to stand so we walked through the mine hunched over with some parts of the mine being very small. The mine was wet, cold, dark and creepy. Our tour guide went on to explain that death in the mine was very common with deaths including being trampled over by horses or death by an explosion from the various gases that would be sparked as they chipped away at the rocks. The fact I found the most disturbing was that children were allowed to work in these mines at the young age of six. Children would work in pitch black for 8 hours a day with only a candle as there source of light if they were able to afford to buy one. After years of human rights violations, slave labour wages and an ungodly amount of deaths the mines were closed down. Interestingly enough the men who were doing the tours said they missed working in the darkness and would go back to working there again immediately if given the chance because they miss working with their best friends and the community. Tintern Abbey was a beautiful old church ruin. It is one of the best preserved medieval buildings in Wales with a rich religious history. Many monks used to live within the Abbey. It was preserved well and still had a majority of the building still standing and in good condition. I can't put an emphasis on how fast time has been going by these past couple weeks. I have been spending more time in the library cramming to get final projects finished. My typical school week is compromised of the following:
Monday Class from 10am-3:30 pm, Library from 5-7pm, Football training 8:30-11pm Tuesday class 10am-3:30 pm, Library 7-12am Wednesday Football match 12:30-4pm, Library 9-12am Although this doesn't seem like a packed schedule I have been spending more time in the library than in my own flat. I am looking forward to finishing up projects and spending my remaining time in Europe backpacking to different countries. When class ends I will be visiting St. Anton, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest. I am excited to graduate in Spring 2019 to see what the world has to offer and to take hold of my future with my new degree and perspective on the world. |
AuthorMy name is Micahl Nicolas Ong. I am addicted to traveling the world, meeting new people and getting lost with a snack in hand! I am studying abroad in London England and will be traveling the world for the next 4+ months. Archives
December 2018
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