As the air turns from a crisp breeze to the piercing winds of a Boston winter, I begin to miss the warm feeling of the European sun on my face.
This past summer, I studied abroad in London and even though I was there for academics, I got to explore and experience something new everyday.
While London might be best known for its gloomy weather and its streets filled with Brits in trench coats and refined casual wear, this was not the London I visited. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms hours of radiant sun for the six weeks I was there.
To maximize my free time, I attempted to romanticize my schoolwork. Almost everyday, I would do homework at a small London cafe, typing away while embracing the fact that I was living a dream.
My schedule was jam-packed with excursions to surrounding English cities and neighborhoods, sightseeing until the sun finally set at 10 p.m. From realizing Big Ben isn’t really that big to doing a photoshoot in a red phone booth, I got to play tourist to my heart’s desire.
The trip wasn’t all exciting adventures, though. One of my favorite pastimes was simply strolling down the cobblestone paths or people-watching in London’s famous Hyde Park. I often laid down with my eyes closed, feeling the sunbeams hit my face. And sure, it might’ve been like any other sunny day back home, but it didn’t feel like that.
Morning lattes accompanied by fresh, fluffy pastries fueled my days, and sips from fruity cocktails at dinners filled my nights. Spending time with friends as we were engulfed in a culture foreign to us was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hold dearly in my memory.
The days of my European summer were long, but now they’re a short, distant memory that I will cherish forever.
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