Traveling abroad to London for the semester was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Though I was hesitant to travel across the world during college at first, I saw new places, new people, and made tons of new memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Traveling abroad to a new country and living there for a few months not only empowers individuals to get out of their comfort zone, but it also allows them to gain cultural fluency. I gained lots of great personal experience with new things that built me into a stronger world citizens. One thing I knew before going abroad was that studying abroad is an incredible opportunity, but the location can make or break the experience. I thought London would be the perfect city for me for more reasons than one. London is an incredible city that is full of diversity, there was no language barrier, and the history is vast. Though the city was perfect and there a lots of things that make London a great location to live, studying abroad necessitates a significant amount of adjustment.
When first getting to London, one of the biggest culture shocks I dealt with was adjusting to taking public transportation everyday. Being from a small town in Connecticut I had always had my own form of transportation and never really took the train, bus, or even cabs. This aspect of culture in London is a huge part of London life and I was nervous about safety and traveling on my own. Though this was a drastic difference in my lifestyle, it ended up being just fine. I learned how to navigate the tube and bus system, and got around just fine! It wasn’t nearly as scary as I had assumed it would be, and it undoubtedly matured me as I traveled as an independent in a large city. It also gave me lots of practice with directions on getting around – something I used to be really bad at!
Someone that was born in raised in London would have definitely thought my assumptions on the way they get around were silly. I learned that just because one culture’s routine is different than mine, does not mean I should assume that it is scary or abnormal.
Adjusting to life in a different country can be challenging and stressful. There will be new foods, different culture, and unfamiliar things. Adjusting to these new cultural aspects in London will undoubtedly prepare me for future endeavors. I learned to realize that almost everyone who goes overseas for a substantial period of time experiences cross-cultural adjustment in some form, and it is completely natural. In the future, I know I will be more open minded, thoughtful, and positive when approached by something new and different!