Although my study aboard program in London was cut short due to the pandemic, I will cherish the short time I had in London. I am so thankful I experienced so much in a short time and I felt really got the most out of my London trip.
I felt my different identities were very helpful for my life in London. My student identity really helped me adapt to student life in another country. It helped me look at everything through a learning perspective. It turns out I didn’t just need this identity for school but for living in London as well. I had to look at living in London as a learning experience. How to travel by tube and how to culturally assimilate was easier for me when I looked at it through my student identity.
My artist identity really helped me go out and explore London culture. The artist inside me craved going out and exploring all of what the city had to offer including musuems, theatres, as well as architecture in the different London boroughs.
I made plenty of friends during my time aboard. My flatmates became some of my closest friends and were always sharing their tips for navigating London. They were also keen on sharing British culture with me (like how to properly serve tea). I also became very close with some girls from Michigan. They all lived very close to my hometown in Michigan. It was nice because we all felt close because of our home town connections and found comfort in it when talking about our lives back home.
Overall, My study aboard program has made me a more independent person. I found a lot of peace just exploring London by myself. I found a lot of power and self confidence in doing things such as attending theatre performances and museums by myself. That is something I could have never imagined, prior to studying aboard. I learned how to enjoy my own company, and how to be independent in a big foreign city. Studying aboard was a very empowering experience for me. I am so grateful I got the oppurtinty to experience life in another country along with exploring different sides of myself.
