It’s been sort of difficult trying to sum up my whole experience abroad in London. The first week coming back to the states had to be one of the toughest things. I know, it sounds like such a cliche, but my study abroad experience has really changed me. I can say that being in a new strange place, with new people; a new lifestyle has forced me to come out of my comfort zone which has made me more confident in my ability to be in uncomfortable situations and be a more independent person being on my own.
Looking back at my first blog, there was a lot of uncertainty, a bit of fear and anxiousness thinking about living in a whole new place and not knowing a single person. I felt a little lonely for a while and out of place, like I didn’t belong and should’ve just stayed home. Of course, that all changed and I now call London my home away from home. I’ve made so many new friends abroad, my closest ones being local Londoners whom I even call family. When I was hanging with my British friends or talking to co-workers and the kids at my internship, I would forget that I was even in a different country.
Now that I’m back home, it’s been 3 months and London is still fresh in mind as if I was just there yesterday. My first week back in the states was quite diffifcult. It was a hard reality to accept that I was back in sunny Florida, and not in cold, rainy London. It felt like I just left a dream, where chips were called “crisps” and fries were called “chips” and people greeted each other with “Are you alright?” instead of “What’s up?”. But it wasn’t a dream. I was in London for four months. I was living in a foreign country all on my own. I remind myself all the time that I lived out one of my dreams. It was a reality. My British friends I talk to every week keep me connected to my excperience and make it not just a one time experience but a part of my life forever.
I am absolutley grateful for the time I’ve had in Europe. I definitely underestimated the imapct my study abroad experience would have on me. I am not the same person I was before I left the states; my experiences, the people I’ve met, and the lessons I’ve learned will always be a part of me.