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Final Reflection - Arwa

The opportunity of traveling to London along with my classmates and teachers for 10 days was a greatly significant experience for me. Even through such a short time, it helped me widen my knowledge of the city, and develop my identity and independence as an individual.
Through our journey throughout London, I grew to understand the deeper meaning and connection throughout all of the landmarks, buildings, etc. that we visited every single day until we left. One of the most important parts and benefits of this trip was education, and the knowledge gained, but what I think was also equally as important was that spending 10 days consecutively with the same exact people, helped getting you closer to some of your classmates that you might've never even talked to before at school, but by going on this trip you were able to talk to them and find out things about them that you never even knew before, and you were able to get this type of chance by going on this trip.
For these reasons, this A-Term provided me with a greater and larger sense of community and connection with my classmates, but as equally, a greater sense of the large and vast history behind many of the landmarks we visited that were in and around the London area.

During our 10 day trip, we toured over 30 landmarks, including cathedrals, museums, castles, royal palaces, royal residences, and more. Throughout our tours of each location, we were each able to reflect and contemplate our own personal reactions to every location, but as equally, we were able to react in those same different ways, but as a group. Being able hear each others different perspectives helped to make you think harder about some aspects that had maybe never even popped into your mind before.
This trip had also helped me create connections with my classmates and through those connections, I was able to slowly and morecomfortably come out of my shell, which was a major accomplishment for me. I was also able to further develop and practice my independence because this trip created great stepping stones and opportunities for me to also pick up some new skills in the process of cooking, cleaning, etc. throughout each day. As this trip was a bonding and developmental experience for all of us, there was also equally, a very prominent educational aspect to it.

As we visited over 30 landmarks throughout out short 10 days in London, we were able to see the very long and prominent history that exists within, throughout, and outside the city in general. What stood out to me the most was how we were able to witness the full of circle of how the royal family had conquered, oppressed, and then ultimately, got to the somewhat powerless point that they are at now. We first saw one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta, which was the first ever document to show the peoples response and rise to the oppression of the King, Queens, and monarchs. Later that week, we were again able to see the peoples response to oppression caused by the government through the large Brexit march that we were able to witness first hand.
Throughout all of these experiences, I was able to fully immerse myself into the history and culture of the city in a way that widened my knowledge that was able to help me realize what my interpretation of London would be.

Overall, I could easily say that throughout this trip I was able to widen my knowledge so that I was able to reflect and realize what my interpretation of London was, but as equally, it was a connective experience for all of us to develop and foster bonds and connections between each other as a group. It was also a way to further our own independence as individuals through the stepping stones and opportunities that were given to us. Lastly, I could easily say that this trip was one of the highlights of my year so far and I felt truly lucky to able to go and visit London in such an amazing and magical way with this group of classmates and teachers. I hope that our trip to London together impacted everybody else in the same amazing way that it has impacted me.

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