Deciding to study abroad was one of the scariest but best decisions of my life. Being here for two months now, I have grown so much in myself.  While being constantly pushed out of my comfort zone, I am garnering new skills that will help me personally and professionally. 

Prior to moving to London, if I were to list my strongest “soft” skills, I would likely turn to the collective – teamwork, communication, conflict resolution, etc.. Most of my formative experiences in high school and first half of college came from part-time jobs or  classes with other students. Here, I have really gained much more independent, individualistic soft skills – confidence, adaptability, problem-solving being the main ones that come to mind.

Moving to a new city that I knew little about and where I only knew a few people was a very isolating experience at first. However, after two months, I have become more confident in talking to new people and making new friends which has made this massive city seem a little smaller. This skill will be so important when it comes to networking and making connections throughout my career. 

Also, in coming to a foreign place, I naturally had lots of unknowns and questions, and I have learned to just have the confidence to ask someone around me. Google can only help so much; tips from locals can go a long way. I have received some of the best restaurant, shopping, and neighborhood recommendations just from talking to people around me in coffee shops and pub lines that I never would have found myself.

Despite having three flatmates, there are so many times during my weeks when I am completely on my own, whether this be journeys to class, explorations around the city, or travel to new countries. Every journey is bound to come with issues. Canceled or delayed trains and flights. Reading directions wrong. Accidentally getting on the wrong tube. Having absolutely no idea where you are. The list could go on, but I now feel well equipped to be able to handle these problems and adapt to whatever situation results from it.

For example, just this weekend I was trying to visit friends from class who live in the East End of London. I usually take the District Line, but due to faulty trains, it was completely shut down. The alternative would have been a bus, but many of those routes were too shut down because of St. Patrick’s Day parades in the city. Even Google Maps was no help in rerouting me. So, I had to do it the old-fashioned way by looking at the maps in the station, figuring out the best stop to transfer, using my knowledge of what trains were faster or came more often, and ultimately deciding on a round-about but most effective way to reach my destination. I truly felt like I was becoming a London local at that moment.  

Being thrown into so many cross-cultural experiences very quickly has allowed me to become so much more open minded. Things may be scary. Things may go wrong. But I will find my way.