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A Love Letter to London: Reflecting on my Internship Experience

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By Leah Gabriella Cardenas

After eight weeks, my time in London and with Paddington Arts has come to an end. 

Though I’m used to being away from home for weeks at a time, being in a different country and at first alone has been an entirely different experience. Especially considering that the last time I left the United States was when I was twelve years old. 

I came to London with little expectations for this internship. I was mostly worried about fitting all the clothes I wanted to bring into just two suitcases. I knew I wanted to explore the city and travel outside of the United Kingdom a little but as for the rest of it, I was trying to be ready for anything.

After eight weeks, I feel that I have done so much more than I could have ever imagined. I learned a lot about London as well as who I am as a person and a writer. 

I have been to eight new cities and three new countries. I have seen three West End shows, aballet, and a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre. I have met so many new people, some of which I see becoming lifelong friends. 

This experience has challenged me. I put myself out there when meeting nearly 60 new people. I adjusted to living with five flatmates and just one tiny fridge. I learned to navigate the Tube to work without using my phone and somehow still had 20,000 steps every day. I also spent a lot of time exploring the city by myself. Being here has allowed me to do a lot of self-reflection and grow even more into who I am.

London has been very different from my life in Seattle or Los Angeles. I had never lived so close to the center of such a cosmopolitan city before which is part of the reason I chose to come here. I have now seen an entirely new side of the world. 

While here, I have also written 13 articles including this one. Through Paddington Arts, I have learned about the city in a way I don’t think I would have working anywhere else. I often explored Notting Hill after work. I helped out one time at the nearby food bank run by Jacqui Haynes. I met and interviewed Jama Elmi, a local celebrity known for his colorful suits. I have explored different topics and writing styles, learning what other people like to read and what I’m good at.

Being a youth performing arts organization, Paddington Arts will always be a unique workplace for me, especially as a former dancer. As I continue to grow as a journalist, I hope that what I learned and practiced here will stick with me.

I’m glad I took this leap and decided to go abroad. I’m also immensely grateful to CIEE and Paddington Arts for giving me the opportunity to live and work here. London now has a special place in my heart. These last two months have been filled with memories and lessons I know I will never forget.

Thank you London.

One Week In As a London CIEE Intern

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By Leah Gabriella Cardenas

After at least 10 hours of travel and being in an airport, about 60 college students from across the United States arrived in London where for the next eight weeks they would be living and working. Some had been to the United Kingdom before while for many, this was their first time. Either way, it would be quite the adjustment with navigating the Tube to work everyday or simply learning how to start the washing machine.

Spread out across five different living accommodations in Central and South London, communicating on WhatsApp and using Citymapper to get around quickly became the norm for the interns. The CIEE center in Russell Square was then their home base for weekly classes and events.

Melissa Nowacki in Notting Hill.

After just a week of London living, interns’ experiences and expectations going forward varied. “I’ve never really left the United States, so I’m excited to see the different cultures and all the tourist parts,” said Melissa Nowacki, a business law major at Arizona State University.

Nowacki is working with The Death Penalty Project as their communications intern. “Even things like spelling, I’ve struggled with here,” said Nowacki. “I’m typing things and sending them out at work and I don’t even think about how there are differences in something like a ‘z’ to an ‘s’ or double letters.”

Though faced with challenges, many students felt welcomed. Jaymi Robinson, a strategic communications major at Howard University in Washington D.C., is interning with Cavendish Consulting. “Everyone in the office is very friendly and also just understanding of the position of an intern who comes from America. They know we might feel a little disoriented and they want to help you,” said Robinson.

Jaymi Robinson in Kensington Gardens.

In addition to making workplace and cultural adjustments, having all new flatmates and classmates was difficult in itself. “I’ve been doing a lot of introspection, like thinking about my personality and hoping that how I’m being perceived by all these new people is good,” said Robinson. “And I haven’t felt that way since freshman year of college.”

Still, the interns quickly formed close groups to get dinner together after work or do some sightseeing on the weekends. “The first week was probably the most social week of my life, we were just out every night either at a pub to watch a [World Cup] game or just exploring like when we went to Primrose Hill,” said Brayden Brafford, a computer science student at Purdue University.

Going forward, some have even greater plans for their time in London. “I want to go to Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Ireland. I also want to see shows like I’m seeing Phantom of the Opera and I want to see The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm,” said Brafford. “There’s just so much to do in the city.” 

The CIEE building in Russel Square.

Though some interns are used to living thousands of miles away from home or others have visited London before, working in a different country posed an entirely new challenge. From having an hour and a half commute to handling a heatwave without AC, the next few weeks will test the CIEE interns as they navigate being abroad. Still, most expect their time in London to be a unique and influential experience.