I have been in London for just over a week, and so much has happened. It is overwhelming and exciting to think about everything I have done so far and everything that awaits me for this semester. It is amazing how much I have grown in such a short amount of time, and I hope I continue to grow as time goes on.
To begin, I must go back to the end of my last post, which was the night before I left for Boston. I was looking forward to exploring a new city and spending time with my roommate. Thursday I arrived at Boston airport, where Dina and her mom met me. We enjoyed a lovely homecooked meal (chicken parmesan with salad and bread) and later in the evening she and I watched a movie. I enjoyed the New England feel, as well as talking to her parents about family, food, travel, school, and more.
The next day we went to the beach and met up with a couple of her friends. That night, we had went to Cheesecake Factory with two of her other friends. I recall explaining what the CAPA program is and what sort of things I would be doing; it all seems so surreal that I am here, and thinking of home and the United States seems so far.
Saturday, Dina and I went into Boston via train (good thing we missed it there instead of in London!). We spent the entire day there, shopping on Newberry Street, having lunch at a cute place outside, walking through the gardens and seeing some of the touristy sites, and enjoying an italian dinner out with her parents in the North end. (pictures from my Boston experience are found on my facebook!)
Sunday was a relaxed day. We slept in, finished putting together last minute things, ran a couple errands, had lobster for lunch, and relaxed until it was time to go to the airport. It was one of the most emotional days because I could not believe I was about to leave the country. It’s exciting to travel to new places, to learn a new culture and way of thinking, but it can be intimidating. I did not know what to expect, how I was going to figure everything out and set everything up. I always know everything will be okay and I know that I can handle being on my own and independent, but perhaps I was afraid of feeling alone. I sensed the great change that was about to occur, and it was an emotional rollercoaster.
We left in plenty of time, checkin at the airport was easy, and the lines weren’t too long. Dina hugged and kissed her parents goodbye as I stood to the side, smiling and forming happy tears at the beautiful moment. It symbolized everything I was saying goodbye to for four months. The moment they released, Dina and I looked at each other, smiling ear to ear. This is it. We are on our own, traveling to London. The adventure awaits. It turns out that our flight was delayed for about an hour due to air conditioning issues on the plane. At that point, we were so tired and excited, we just wanted to get settled on the plane and get going. Nevertheless, the time passed and we boarded the plane. It was my first time flying a double decker and I was happy to start my journey. The flight attendants had a British accent, another sign we were embarking on this journey.
The flight was about 7 hours, or maybe more because we arrived two hours later than we should have. We finally got our checked bags (thank goodness nothing was lost!) and headed over to UK Border, which did not take as long as I thought it would. The prearranged car service was ready for us, so we arrived at the hotel around 1pm. (The flight was overnight and we didn’t sleep much on the plane, so Monday afternoon London time felt weird). Checkin wasn’t until 2, so we put our bags in storage, and began to walk and explore the neighboring area in Islington. We wound up at a pub called Fifteen for lunch. After we checked into the hotel, we went out for dinner that night. We went to The Narrowboat, where we enjoyed drinks and snacks.
Tuesday, we had breakfast at the hotel before venturing off into Upper Street in Angel, about a 10 minute walk away. There is an Underground Station there, along with several shops, restaurants, pubs, and convenience stores. Wanderlust took us to all the neighboring streets, where we ran into the Chapel Market. I got chicken and chips for lunch, and later that night we went to a pub for dinner. I was so glad that I got to London early in order to experience daily life on my own before all the work begins, along with dealing with the time change and culture shock, even though I accustomed quite well right off the bat.
Unfortunately, we slept through our alarms Wednesday morning so we missed the free breakfast at the hotel. It was move in day, so we wanted to get there early, but we got there soon after lunch. Our flatmate, Lauren, was already moved in and had picked up some things from the store to tide us over until we got situated. I was surprised by how big our flat is. Granted, there is only one bathroom for five girls, but we make it work. I share a room with Dina, and the other three girls (Lauren, Brandi, and Karissa) share the other room. Our living room takes up about half our flat, with two couches, table and chairs, and a nice sized kitchen. It was nice to unpack and organize as much as I could. It’s the little things. Then, we all went out to get UK phones and then went to dinner on Upper Street. My Sprint iPhone 6 has an international plan, but CAPA requires us to have a UK number, so I just bought a cheap phone and phone plan. I was so worried about figuring out the phone, but I surveyed my options, made my priorities, and ultimately made the best decision. It seemed like a little thing, and I know I make mature decisions often, but I felt proud to have completed such an important task. Instead of worrying I must act.
That night, we all went out to Camden town and had a great time. Thursday was the first day of orientation. Everything was planned out in the folders and packets that the CAPA staff gave us when we first moved in. Info sessions about health, safety, how to get around, housing, etc were part of this day. Later on, I did some shopping and stayed in to rest for the next day of orientation, which involved more info sessions. We were invited to attend tea at the London Regency Hotel, which was about 10 minutes from the CAPA building in Kensington. That night, we had dinner in the flat and went out to Piccadilly Circus. A good night was had by all.
It was so nice to sleep in on Saturday. I missed the planned tour, but instead my flatmates and I went to Big Ben, Harrod’s, and other nearby places. I enjoy being a tourist. I enjoy taking lots of pictures and observing the people, the culture, taking in the sounds and views. I appreciate art in all its forms. After a very long day of walking, I decided to stay in that night.
Sunday, I attended the planned walking tour of South Bank, which I didn’t realize that that was the same place I went to the day before. However, I learned cool tidbits about statues, buildings, and other things, and we also walked further and in different areas so I could see new things. It was so fascinating that I could see so much and such different things in the same place on two different days. The most popular attractions are Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Globe Theatre. My friends and I ventured into the surrounding area, and I am always amazed by the beautiful architecture, history, and charm, that each building, street, and town holds. After another long day of walking, I stayed in to prepare for my internship interview and classes.
Monday morning, class began. I got a breakfast sandwich, and had pasta for dinner. Food is the cornerstone of life. It is culture, it is love, it is delicious. I had the internship course at 930 (which I changed to 1130) and Finance at 2. In a way, the first days of class are overwhelming because I hear about all the work that I have to do, essays, projects, etc. But, it is also exciting to meet new people, see who I already know in the class, and begin to open up to new friends. I want to branch away from my flat. About 200 students are here in London on the CAPA program, all from different states, different schools, and all of them live and/or work in a different part of London. I want to experience and get out of my comfort zone as much as possible while still staying true to who I am.
Tuesday morning, I had the interview at 10. I always get nervous, but I knew I had the job and that I had done all the work to prepare and earn this internship at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington as a finance intern. The hotel is just down the road from the CAPA building so it is convenient and I already knew how to get there and how long it would take. The actual interview was short. One of the team members gave me a tour of the hotel, and then I started training. I left the office that day around 3:30 (or 15:30 London time). I stopped at the Starbucks on Glocester Road before getting on the Tube back to Angel Station (I take the Piccadilly line to Kings Cross, and then transfer to the Northern line to get back to Angel). It was a long, overwhelming, exciting, productive day. I couldn’t help but sit back, relax, use the wifi, and reflect on the incredible journey I had had so far. Holding back tears of joy, I felt so happy and relieved and excited and on top of the world. To be enjoying my internship and getting used to classes and traveling, and learning to be on my own again. The truly beautiful thing is that even though I am so far from home, I have a wonderful support network, such as friends, acquaintances, CAPA staff, work supervisors, sorority sisters, family, and loved ones, that encourage, uplift, support, and motivate me even more to grow, learn, develop, and blossom in everything that I do. I cannot thank friends, family, and loved ones enough for being there for me through it all.
Wednesday I was back at work from 10-530. This will be my schedule for tuesdays and wednesdays, and on fridays I will work from 9-330. I learned another part of the Accounts Payable role while at the internship, and it was rewarding to help out the Finance team.
Today, Thursday, I had two classes at 930 and 2, each over 3 hours long. It is quite a lengthy time to sit, but in a way I am glad to only have each class once a week. Regardless, I feel like my schedule is full, and I am a little overwhelmed. I know this is natural, and considering it is the first week, I just need to settle into the routine for a little longer and I will feel better. I always get the work done, it always gets done. The frustrating thing at the moment is that I just want to travel and explore as much of London and the UK and Europe as possible. I have my priorities straight, I just feel like there is so much to do in such a short amount of time. Three and a half months is a long time, but there is so much to do. This is my chance to see as much as possible and learn through the process of planning and doing and seeing and exploring and experiencing. It is all part of the fabulous and interesting study abroad experience.
Well, here I am at 11:30 pm (23:30) sitting at the kitchen table in the living room finishing up this blog post. My oh my have a written a lot. (if only it could be this easy to write all my papers and essays). I have done so much and seen so much. There is so much more to see and learn and experience. (If you’d like to see what I have been seeing, I have been pretty good about uploading photos to facebook #laurengoestolondon).
There is a lot on my mind but it is all good things. I am enjoying the moment. But now it is time to sleep, for I have work at 9 and must be up by 7:30.
Cheers!