Leaving London felt like I was leaving a second home, I truly felt like I became a Londoner within such a short time. I was going to work four days a week and taking three long classes and now I’m doing it all from home. It’s bittersweet to be back, I definitely missed the warmer weather and seeing some of my friends (before quarantine) but I could have stayed a little while longer abroad.
With all I’ve experience in the last two months I have found that the world isn’t as different as I once believed. It’s strange to say but I didn’t need to actively try to be apart of society, I quickly fell into a routine that made living in a new country relatively easy. Before all this, I would have never thought easy would be an adjective I’d use to describe my time abroad. I expected it to be emotional and difficult, of course there were moments but the good times outweighed the bad. Interacting with other study abroad students definitely helped me settle in more as we were all learning how to live in a new place, together. I felt like it was more difficult with an internship to interact with other students but I took advantage of trips and outings to connect with more people.
Studying abroad has given me an opportunity to grow as a person and learn how to function within a new set of standards and way of living. I feel like I’ll be able to have more meaningful discussions with colleagues and professors as I can offer a more international perspective on concepts.
I loved my study abroad experience, it has definitely changed me. I feel more inspired to travel and immerse myself in new cultures. It taught me how to be independent, I didn’t have anyone else to help me make decisions so I needed to figure it out on my own. I noticed how capable I was that I could handle the challenges I faced while abroad like learning the train schedule, having alternative routes and balancing work and classwork. If I could do it again, I would in a heartbeat.
London, it’s goodbye for now but not forever.