Honestly, I can’t even believe that I have already been in London for a week. I wasn’t sure what I would experience while being here, but I was open to anything. Truthfully, I have been through what seems like almost every emotion. I mean, it is not easy moving to a whole new country. However, looking back at this week, I would not change anything. I am so excited and grateful to be here, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next few months. That said, I figured I would talk a little bit about what I have experienced, and hopefully, someone can find this helpful!
I won’t lie; the first few days were extremely intense. From being too jet-lagged to trying to meet new people, I was feeling overwhelmed. Whenever I was in my room, I doubted my decision to study abroad. Frankly, I thought I made a mistake. I thought that there was no way I could complete an entire semester abroad. However, I kept telling myself that this moment was temporary. I knew that it wasn’t going to be perfect right away. Instead of sitting in my room, I would walk around the park and read my book (I’m currently reading Song of Achilles, please go read it, it’s so amazing). Looking back, I am positive the fresh air helped me clear my mind and find a new perspective. These first few days were taxing; nevertheless, what I thought was a bad decision, turned out to be a great one.
After a few days of being here, I started to meet other students who were studying abroad. This was definitely a game-changer. From the moment I met them, I have been hanging out with them every day. They have literally made my experience take a 180. Since meeting them, I was able to meet even more students, and I was able to go out and explore more of London. My feelings of anxiety started to go away, and I was able to fully enjoy this past week. Every day has now felt surreal, and I am excited to make every day the best it can be.
I feel like people only talk about positive experiences when studying abroad. I rarely see anyone open up about their negative experiences. Although, I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to open up because it is extremely scary, and that is okay! However, if you are considering studying abroad, I want you to know that it may not be the perfect experience right away. I am in no way trying to talk you out of studying abroad. In fact, I think everyone should go abroad. I just think that it is important that we try to be as transparent as possible and remember that everything happens for a reason. Allow yourself to feel happy, sad, anxious, whatever it is you need to feel. No matter what, just know that it will get better. I mean, look at me now. I went from regretting everything to loving every moment of the day. I cannot wait for a semester full of adventure!