I have been looking forward to studying abroad since I was a freshman. I visited Europe in high school and I couldn’t wait to go back. I had done research, spent hours planning, met with countless advisors, and finally, on January 23, I stepped on a plane that was headed for London. I had picked London, not only because London Met offered many classes that I wanted to take, but because I have always wanted to live in London. As soon as I got off the plane at London Heathrow I felt like I was home. The 45 minute Tube journey to my apartment, through Central London to Holloway, gave me a glimpse of all the places I would come to explore in the next few weeks. My first week in London was different, as I had lost my Granny just a week before. I was navigating grief as well as one of the biggest cities in the world. I spent a lot of my first week exploring alone and reminiscing on memories of my Granny. After the first week, we started having group activities and I began to make some close friends. We explored London nightlife together and found solace in rock bars and wearing Dr. Martens. We ate lots of fish and chips and spent too much money on souvenirs, but somehow not enough. We traveled to Ireland and drove through the Irish countryside. We hoped we wouldn’t get the dreaded email that told us we were being sent home. But when it came, we spent all of our last moments in London together, giving our city one helluva good-bye.
My time in London was short, just shy of two months, but it will forever have had an impact on my life. For the first time, I grieved the loss of a close relative, and I was 3,800 miles away. I had to navigate public transportation, a new culture, and a big city I had never been to before. I became confident in my independence and my ability to live on my own as a female. I learned about night life in a big city and how to be safe and take care of your friends. I traveled alone to Denmark and had one of the best experiences of my entire time abroad. One of the biggest things I learned was to take that leap, even if it scares you, because you don’t know if you’ll get the chance again. I had so much planned for this semester, and it was taken away by something out of my control. I know I’ll return to London someday, but I will never be able to study abroad again. I will add some pictures below of my favorite memories. London was an amazing city, I experienced so many different cultures, enjoyed different kinds of foods at the various markets, and I fell in love with traveling and exploring new places, even if I was on my own. One of the biggest things I gained from my time abroad, was confidence in myself, and I will forever thank London for finally helping me find it.
Courtney’s Semester in London 