Being a midyear is confusing and weird but it also an incredible experience that will forever be special to everyone who was a part of it. In my Midyear semester, I got to go to London and those were three of the best months I spent away from home. I had a chance to learn so much about a different culture, a different city, new people and most importantly myself. Here are five things I miss about being a mid-year in London, a magical city.
-
Family Dinners
There were forty of us last semester in London and we were thrown into this experience not knowing anyone. We had to cook and do our own grocery shopping. As friendships began forming and we got to know each other better and we established a cycle of cooking and doing the dishes. Soon, ‘family dinners’ began a ritual and our way of bonding at the end of the day and taking time out to stay away from homework and technology to catch up. There is something so different and special about cooking for each other and bonding over food that made us feel like real adults and brought us closer than ever!
-
Princess Elizabeth House/ Highgate
Princess Elizabeth House was where all the mid-years stayed for our semester. We got to know the area (Highgate) and soon, it became a home away from home. Highgate had cute bakeries and restaurants that we soon discovered and eventually, it became our local area and we began to associate it with ‘home’.
-
The city was our Campus
We studied in the heart of London and we had the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. The city became our campus as we visited and explored different parts of the magical city, getting to know the alleyways and the mysterious bylanes a little better every day. The accessibility of endless adventures was overwhelming and exciting.
-
The tube!!
The tube is London’s well known public transport system and it was our primary mode of travel. The tube holds so many amazing memories and finally getting to know how the system worked made us feel like we were finally part of the city.
-
Pub Culture
Pubs and bars are a major part of the London city. It was a way to interact with the locals and learn more about the culture. There were fun Friday nights doing karaoke and low-key Wednesday nights just getting dinner because we didn’t feel like cooking! It was a place where we met some interesting locals and where we got to know each other a little bit better!
Overall London was exciting and a semester filled with learning and many ‘firsts’. As much as I love being on campus, my semester in London will always be special and the memories attached to the city and the people I was with will be cherished forever.