Student Bloggers

Nervously, I packed my clothes and set o6 to live in a brand-new city I had never stepped foot in with no idea of what to expect. All I knew was that I needed to experience London, even if it was just for a semester. Still, the night before I left, I sat there staring at my suitcase truly feeling the weight of what I was about to do. It wasn’t just clothes I was packing, it was fear, uncertainty, excitement, and hope all neatly zipped up and ready to go.

I questioned just about everything: What if I hated it? What if it wasn’t what I was expecting it to be? What if I couldn’t make friends? Or even worse, what if I felt completely alone? The day I landed in London, everything felt so surreal. It was a typical “London” day; the sky was grey, the air was damp, and the pace of the city was immediate and seemingly unforgiving. It was beautiful yet intimidating all at once. While lugging my suitcases up the hill to what would be my “home” for the next few months, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I felt like I was walking into the unknown, yet I was strangely excited for this new beginning.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that at first, everything was genuinely terrifying—the accents, the weather, the public transportation systems, and even ordering food. Everything took a lot more e6ort than I truly expected. London moved fast, and sometimes I felt like I was scrambling to catch up. I got lost more times than I care to admit, took wrong turns, and even exited the wrong tube stations. The first time I explored on my own, I somehow ended up on the opposite side of town from where I was trying to go.

Unfortunately, and fortunately, you learn from your mistakes. However, within a few days, I started to find my rhythm. I figured out the tube stations, found pubs that were the busiest on random nights of the week, found cafes with the most inexpensive meals and lattes, created friendships with the people on my floor, and even found a routine of sorts. But it wasn’t the routine that kept me grounded; it was the unexpected moments. The random trips across the city to see a friend after class, the way Big Ben lit up during golden hour as I explored parts of London, going to beautiful galleries and wandering for hours, discovering the markets, and the evenings spent laughing over cheap wine at The Flask. There was this sense that even though I was extremely far from where I was from, I was exactly where I needed to be.

I genuinely never expected to feel so attached to a place that I didn’t grow up in or even travel to before. I thought London would be a temporary adventure, something I would talk about in stories after I returned home. But instead, it became a part of me. I found comfort in the chaos and the slow foggy mornings. London taught me a sense of independence that pushed me completely outside of my comfort zone. It gave me friends who feel like family and memories that I would never trade for anything. I realized I didn’t
need to have it all figured out, and maybe not knowing was the whole point of going abroad.

I will never forget the day it really hit me; I was sitting in the middle of Hampstead Heath, staring at the skyline, and for the first time, I felt like this was the city I belonged in. London taught me to embrace uncertainty and to slow down to pay attention to the small details of the streets. It taught me to be okay with getting lost, because sometimes that was how you found the best views. It taught me to navigate through life while being uncomfortable. As scary as everything sounded, London allowed me to learn.

When it came time to leave London, I was not ready in the slightest. I had grown attached to this place that had once felt so foreign. Leaving was bittersweet. I ended up crying on my flight home, not because I didn’t miss where I came from, but because I had unexpectedly found a new place to call home. I realized then that “home” doesn’t always mean where you're from, but rather the place you grow the most, feel the most seen or challenged, and most of all, connected to. It can be where you become a version of yourself you would have never expected. London is and will forever be that for me.

Now, months later, I look back and realize that London was not just a semester abroad, but rather my city. It gave me a version of myself that I am proud of. I am proud to call London my third “home,” outside of my hometown and college town. London gave me a chance, and I am so glad I pushed through and gave it a chance. As cheesy as it sounds, don’t be afraid of the unexpected life of study abroad. You never know what you will gain and become. I went in expecting nothing and gained everything. Take that leap and see the world!