Since I was a little girl, I've had a passion for a few particular things. These things include elephants, which I must admit has turned into an obsession, Disney, another one of my obsessions, writing, which I am lucky enough to have begun the path to a career, and traveling, which is why I find myself writing this today. The last two items on my list of passions, writing and traveling, are most important to me and encompass most of my goals, as well as dreams, for my future. And these two passions also just so happen to go hand in hand.

Applying to study abroad is the first chance I've had to act on my decision and begin my adventures, and I couldn't be more anxious. Being able to learn about a new place while going to school and preparing myself for my future couldn't sound more appealing. And to top it off, I'll be given the opportunity to learn journalism from a different perspective and entirely different culture, which will further my understanding of the field entirely. There is no better chance for me to be the best journalist I can be than by studying exactly that in a different country in addition to my own. This program will without a doubt give me a leg up on my fellow journalists as I try and succeed in my professional plans, as well as my personal goals.

When deciding where exactly I wanted to study, it was honestly a no brainer. The United Kingdom was my obvious choice and not just because “it's England.“ I wanted to study somewhere where I would be able to get the most of my studies, while also allowing me easy travels to other places and providing a culture I could assimilate into with ease. England had all these qualities, and many more, that made it the perfect choice.

Europe is one of the best places to be a journalist, so why would I choose to learn from anyone but the best? From there I narrowed my search, finding that I really wanted to know the language of the country I would be studying so that I wouldn't be hindered when taking classes at the university. And although I am fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish, I wouldn't be very comfortable taking exams and examining lectures in those languages just yet. I wanted to start off somewhere where I could continue to excel while still having a new cultural experience. Then gradually work my way up to the harder stuff, like language barriers. This made England the perfect destination.

After choosing the United Kingdom, I had to narrow my choice even further, deciding on only one school. The first step I took was to decide on where in England I would prefer. It didn't take me long to decide that I'd like to be close to London, one of the leading journalism fronts in the UK. I decided on the University of Hertfordshire because of its prestigious programs in both journalism and film, which is my minor.

With the help of my journalism advisor, as well as my film advisor, I was able to come to the conclusion that Hertfordshire had amazing classes that would give me the best opportunity to make the most out of my year abroad. After looking through the module catalog, I knew that no matter which of the film and/or journalism classes I took, I'd have an excellent chance at excelling. Because of the location and appealing modules, I knew without a doubt that I was making the right decision.