To Pre-London Mrunal, you have no idea how quickly these months will fly by. Before you know it, the weather will start getting warmer and flowers will be blooming all over the city.
I know you were worried about making friends in London and staying in touch with family and friends back home. It has been a blast making so many new connections. It is surprising how quickly and easily you got close with your flatmates and neighbors, you wouldn’t be as confident as you are now without them. That will be the biggest change you will notice about yourself. It will become much easier to explore the city, even getting the courage to explore alone.
I have learned how to efficiently plan a trip and manage time between school, travel, and relaxing. I definitely wish I would have known about the long commute to my classes, but I am now getting used to the Tube. Taking every opportunity that arises has allowed me to explore places, foods, and things that I would not have tried back at home. I have also learned to appreciate the simple, little things. Just being able to walk to my favorite coffee shop or go on a picnic in Primrose Hill makes me happier than I can describe.
Primrose Hill
However, all this travel and planning is catching up to me! I wish I had known how expensive London truly is. It is hard to be in the moment when I keep thinking about whether or not a seven dollar coffee was worth it or not. I also did not know how close other cities in the UK are compared to the United States. One of my favorite trips was definitely a day trip to Brighton, which was only a couple hours by train.
I have grown and learned a lot academically, which is something I only realized once I began to reflect on my time here. My essay and research paper writing skills have massively improved. I also appreciate the added feedback from professors because of the small classroom environment. All the field studies have also broadened my horizons to connecting my business classes to the real world.
I am glad that I have been able to be more independent since being here as well. This whole experience will be unforgettable and give me a whole new perspective on life. I will be emphasizing traveling more in the future as well. There are probably so many places I haven’t seen around the United States.
All in all, just take it day by day because you’ll blink and miss it!