Arrival day was stressful. Working on roughly one hour of sleep on a seven-hour plane ride from Boston to London was not helping with the anxiety of the first day. When my plane finally arrived, I was so excited to be where I’d dreamed of since starting the application process. The initial feeling was excitement tied together with anxiety over going through the passport control and customs, as this was the first time ever being out of the United States. All of this was actually much simpler than I had thought it was going to be, but the next part posed an unanticipated complication. My friend Emma and I had planned to leave the airport together and head towards our new flats in the same cab. However, when we realized we were at different terminals, I knew I needed to find out how to get together. Once we were at the same place, we could figure everything else out together. Fast forward a few weeks, I can look back and reflect upon the experiences of seeing London and immersing ourselves in it all at once. I can honestly say that the best way to get acclimated to a new city is to go all in and do it all. The first week a group of friends from our neighborhood traveled to our orientation together and explored the city together. Each day we had a different person navigate the tube so that we could all get used to a foreign transportation system. This really helped all of us get used to traveling and become close friends. The first day of orientation was quick and informational, mostly regarding general CAPA and London information. Following orientation, we went and traveled down towards the London eye, which is closed for a few weeks in January, Big Ben, which is under refurbishment for a few years, and then it started raining. This was our first experience of London. We were all caught in the rain without an umbrella, but it was all worth the fun story and unforgettable pictures. Hopefully we’ll have more fun experiences like this and have some sunny days to travel and explore the city.
