Alexandra

Alexandra was a frequent traveller, as her dad’s job often required him to relocate all over Europe - when we filmed her at 14, she imagined herself living abroad. At 21 we filmed her in Paris, where she is spent a year as an Erasmus student - part of the degree she is taking at Kings College London.

With her boyfriend in London and her parents now living in Dubai, Alex immersed herself in Parisian life, determined to make the most of her year abroad before thinking about careers and what to do next.

We’ve seen you aged seven and 14 – but where are you now?

"I’m living in London having just moved back from Paris three weeks ago, preparing for the final year of my bachelor’s degree in French with English."

Are you following the path you imagined for yourself when you were those ages?

"I never imagined a set path, more just characteristics that I wanted to grow into. I wanted to be strong, independent and self reliant, which I think I have become."

And how have your relationships changed?

"My relationship with my parents has matured- I think that in growing up you start to see your parents as individuals and not just in the light of the parental bond that you have to them, which you struggle so hard to gain independence from in your teenage years. Today I value the lessons that I can learn from their life experience, and whether I agree or not with their opinions, I can accept these differences as I would with any other friends, whereas seven years ago this would have meant war.

"Some of the friends I thought would stay with me for life have left, and others have stayed. Friendship is like a flower - it needs to be nurtured - yet I’ve learnt that with true friendship no matter how long you go without seeing each other or how difficult distances make it to talk, when you get back in touch again you’ll see that nothing has changed. It blooms again like the desert rose."

Looking back to those ages, what advice would you give yourself?

"Keep doing what you’re doing."

Are there any moments you look back on and think ‘perhaps I would have done that differently’?

"Although there are certain things I’ve done that at the time weren’t the most sensible, every experience has brought a lesson and has shaped who I am today. I wouldn’t go back in time and change the past, but when similar situations arise in the future I’ll know how to deal with them better."

Where should we expect to find you when Up New Generation returns in seven years' time?

"I don’t yet know. All I hope is that I’ll be healthy, and whatever I’m doing and wherever I am, it’ll be something that puts a smile on my face when I wake up in the morning."