Living and studying in a new country comes with many changes. Although adjusting to a new routine and environment was difficult, I was grateful that I had some of my friends from home by my side. Since I began this program knowing a few others, the thought exploring London without my friends by my side was scary. I have been so grateful to travel to many amazing landmarks across London and throughout Europe as a whole over the past few months. Still, there have been times where either my friends weren’t available or interested in seeing something I wanted to see. Due to my fear of exploring alone, there were a few attractions that I had missed out on. Last week, I realized my time in London was slowly coming to a close and I was faced with an important decision to either not go or go alone.

One of these attractions was the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour, located just outside of London. Tickets were very limited, and I eventually came to a point where I had to either buy the ticket or not go at all. Since the timing didn’t work out with friends, I had initially feared navigating the transportation and attraction alone. The tour is located roughly one hour outside London by public transport, and I was scared of going to an area I had never been to alone. As someone who had been an avid Harry Potter fan throughout my whole life, I decided that I would regret not going if I didn’t go at all.

Traveling to the tour was much easier than I had expected, as traveling alone meant that I could leave at my own pace and make any stops I wanted along the way. Once I got to the tour, I was so glad that I chose to go. Seeing all the sets that defined my childhood was so fascinating, and I was able to study each of the exhibits in detail. I was also able to take as many photos as I wanted of everything. Although traveling in company definitely enriches the experience, this solo adventure made me more adaptable. This experience demonstrated that doing things alone isn’t as bad as I might’ve originally expected, and there were some benefits that came with the experience. I am so glad that this study abroad experience has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, and I can’t wait to see how these new lessons will aid me in my professional and personal life back home.