We are in the midst of midterm season, which is quite honestly, a very different vibe here at CAPA than at Rollins. In a sense, midterms, and classes in general, are more relaxed than I have previously experienced. Rollins prides itself on academic performance and rigorous coursework, which is obviously a benefit to the students’ education. At CAPA, and I assume other study abroad programs as well, the learning environment is not always centered around the classroom setting. What I have learned so far while I’ve been abroad has been mostly outside of my comfort zone, which is typically what I’m used to: academics. I have learned the ins and outs of what it means to live in a global city.
I have learned how to live with seven other flatmates who, just over a month ago were strangers. These former strangers have become my closest friends while I’ve been abroad. We’ve navigated public transportation, including the tube and the night bus; we’ve made international friends; we’ve spent time wandering around many different, popular tube stops like King’s Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, Westminster, London Bridge, etc. We have spontaneously planned trips to Scotland, Italy, and Budapest together. We have shared stories about heartbreak and how to deal with difficult feelings. We’ve talked about the friends, family, puppies, cultural aspects, and food we miss from home. My roommates have taken turns teaching me how to cook; I am happy to report that I can now, successfully, marinate and stir fry an entire chicken dish. We have found our favorite restaurants, coffee shops, stores; London, Kilburn and Gloucester Road specifically, have begun to feel so much more like the familiar. It doesn’t take me more than a second to figure out where I’m going, what I’m doing, etc. I feel that my poor sense of direction has actually started to improve, just because you become so accustomed to living in wonderment. In my experience, I’ve started to find that living surrounded by what isn’t so familiar to me isn’t nearly as hard as I would’ve thought. Most importantly, because I didn’t have to learn the ropes alone.
