When my grad school experience was interrupted by a global pandemic, so many plans and dreams were put on pause. Yet, the world continued spinning and life went on. Leaving all the memories we made over the school year and my cute little flat in the middle of London - two months before what would've been our graduation - was bittersweet. And while we all settled into our own realities of post-grad school life, it was clear to me that there was still some unfinished business and a chapter yet to be closed.
I'm a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. Even as I write this MONTHS later, it's even crazier to think back on this trip and how significant it was in several ways. It was the closing of one chapter, and the start of a beautiful new one. And each deserve their own moment, the former winning out here.
I didn’t know when or even if there’d be a graduation ceremony, but I just knew that I wouldn’t miss it for anything. So, if I couldn't walk for graduation in London, I wouldn't walk at all. I know... I can be quite stubborn. But hey, in this case, it paid off tremendously. Plus, it was almost as if London wanted me back there. Literally one week before my mom and I flew out to London, the UK government had lifted their 10-day quarantine for vaccinated US citizens. When something is meant to be, everything around it just seems to fall in place effortlessly.
And while not everyone from the London fam made it back for graduation, we made the most of an (un)fortunate situation. It was incredible to be reunited with those who ended up staying in the city and those who didn't. Even COVID times couldn't stop us. We all just picked up right where we left off. This proves we went through so much together as a class and made friendships that will last a lifetime. Even myself, Zoé and Kayla each got a crown tattoo during this week to commemorate 2020 and the sh*t show it was. Crown = corona(virus)
But what was truly special about this trip was being there with my mom. She didn't get to visit me when I was living there, so it was like I was showing her the city through my eyes. And she got to experience firsthand me in my absolute element. There's no one quite like London Jasmin.
Thanks to Hult International Business School for all the memories and incredible friendships. I'll cherish this experience for the rest of my life.
