Living and Loving London

Just like many people who study abroad, I felt like London was my second home. Growing up in a small town just shy of 10,000 people, living in London felt like a whole world opened itself up in front of me. I felt wonder in the everyday moments, whether that was figuring out public transport or going grocery shopping. This short-term-trial-run of adulthood was truly a transformative time overall, but there were a few aspects that were especially memorable.

One of these was my London Museums class with Professor Lahav. This class had an alternating structure–one week we were in class, the other we would visit London museums. Not only did I become much more involved and interested in the arts, but I got to explore and navigate London on a daily basis. These museums were free, so I frequently visited them to study or just take a look around new exhibits.

Coming into my semester abroad, I was worried about making friends. This was my first semester of freshman year, I had no friends on campus, and I was scared that if I didn’t make any now, I would be isolated for the rest of the year. Not only did I make several close friends, but I came back to campus with a web of people who I could maintain casual contact with–whether in class or at a dining hall. It is always refreshing to catch up with people I went abroad with, and it really solidifies the fact that going abroad my first semester was the best for me.