How do I even begin to summarize the greatest four months of my entire life in one blog post? When people say studying abroad will change your life, that is not a joke. When I was applying to colleges, one of my big things was that I needed to study abroad. My mom was a big part of that. Yes, I thought spending a semester in another country would be cool, but she truly knew the impact it would have on me. Not only did I fall in love with Ithaca College, but they would give me the opportunity to study in London THROUGH the school. That is the perfect scenario. I wouldn't have to worry about credits transferring because it is Ithaca essentially.
That being said, London is one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. I remember getting the acceptance letter via email and screaming to my roommate Raquel. It was hard to grasp that I'd be studying in another country for four months.
I wasn't nervous until the morning of January 9th when my mom handed me my passport. Then I started to cry because I had a little bit of a panic attack. While I was excited to study abroad for 4 months, at the same time, I WAS STUDYING ABROAD FOR FOUR MONTHS. That panic quickly shifted back to excitement the moment I clicked my seatbelt on the plane. Little did I know how much the next four months would truly change my life forever, as corny as that sounds.
I figured in order to sum up my experience abroad, I'd choose 10 things that I will always remember from my time across the pond. Originally I was going to pick favorites in every category such as favorite pub, favorite trip, etc, but that would have been too difficult. These are in no particular order.
10. Friends
While studying abroad, I not only met a whole bunch of British people, but I got to become close with a number of people from Ithaca who were also studying abroad. I met so many people that I didn't even know went to Ithaca and each of them made my experience abroad wonderful. Being back in Ithaca with all of these new friends will be wonderful and they will be able to share the same fond memories of London!
9. Living in Fulham
When we first decided we would be living in Fulham, I didn't know much about the area. It seemed like a nice enough place so I was excited. After living there for four months, I now consider it a part of me. From Havana to Tex Mex to the market to the McDonalds that was right down the street. I am now trying to convince my family to name our next pet Fulham. I never felt unsafe as I stumbled home around 3am and had everything I needed in short walking distance. Whenever I answered Fulham when asked where I was staying, the response was almost always "Oh, how posh of you." Fulham, thank you for being perfect.
Included in living in Fulham will most certainly be the mice. While at first seeing the food that had been nibbled on was enough to make me gag, nothing describes how I felt when I discovered my first dead mouse in Chelsea and I's bedroom. While horrified, by the time April rolled around, Bernard and his family had become part of the norm. So, Cheers Bernard, for being one persistant son of a gun.
8. Spring Break
While I traveled many places this semester, my Spring Break trip to Italy was perfect. I could not have asked for anything more. I saw Juliet's balcony, rode in a gondola, ate my weight in pasta and gelato, saw the Colosseum, stood in awe in Vatican City, spent most of my money in the San Lorenzo leather market and developed a whole new appreciation for a nice glass of wine. It truly was wonderful and the weather was spectacular. Italy, Thank you for making me wish I was Italian.
7. Being Legal
While I am a college student and I do tend to drink with my friends occasionally, it is a completely different experience when you are actually ALLOWED to drink. While in Europe, I wasn't drinking just because it was a Friday or buying cheap alcohol just to drink. I actually enjoyed just having a glass of wine with dinner or going out for a casual pint with a friend or two. I really enjoyed it and developed a taste for things other than cheap vodka and keystone. Thank you Europe for introducing me to Lemoncello, Whiskey and Sambucca.
6. Harrod's
As stated in a previous post, Harrod's is the root of the reason I not only wanted, but needed to study in London. Going there with my dad was truly one of my favorite memories from being in the actual city of London. Harrod's is so iconic and has always meant so much to me. Being able to go in with my dad and actually see where he bought me all my gifts when I was younger was really powerful. While it may seem silly to some people, but it is something that I will always cherish.
5. Miguel
While I met a ton of awesome people while abroad, the person that truly made an impact on me would most definitely be Miguel. After meeting him at Havana on day four, he made my time in London that much more enjoyable. From taking me to buy a new camera to showing me a bunch of cool places such as the canal leading to the Camden Lock, I truly appreciate every moment I got to spend with him. He always looked out for me and I miss him so much already. Thanks Miguel for taking the time to deal with a silly ignorant American :-P.
4. The Ability to Travel
As if being in London for an extended period of time wasn't enough, I got the chance to travel to 6 different countries and 14 different cities. The things I have seen and experienced just continuously leave me speechless. While I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures, nothing will compare to seeing it in person. My breath was taken away at places like King Arthur's Seat, Tuscany and Parc Guell. Thank you Europe for showing me there is so much more to the world other than the New York City skyline and the Jersey Shore.
3. Hostels
Seeing as my dad is in the travel business, I had become accustomed to staying in pretty nice hotels whenever we traveled. Staying in hostels was a completely new experience for me. At first I was a little nervous, especially after hearing about the movie "Hostel." But after this semester, I have had so many great memories from staying in hostels. My two favorites obviously being Grandpa's Hotel in Florence and Jimmy's boat in Amsterdam. Both of these places originally caught me off guard, but turned out being awesome experiences and I would take them over a five star hotel any day.
2. Family
A number of my favorite memories occurred during the two times I was lucky enough to have my family visit. The first wave was my dad, Aunt Hannah and my Aunt Tiny. They flew in just for the weekend, but we accomplished so much. They took me to Gordon's Wine Bar which is one of the coolest pubs I had been to, China Town, The London Eye and I even got to see Wicked from the fourth row! The second wave of family included my dad, my mom, my brother Liam and my cousin Cait. We once again went to the London Eye and Gordon's Wine Bar, but also got to visit a number of other pubs, leave our mark in Westminster and I got to party with Cait (totally worth the hangover). I was incredibly lucky to have family visit me TWICE when some people weren't able to see their families for the entire four months. Not only did I get to have family come visit, but 3 of my good friends came to visit as well. Many of the moments spent with Juice, Sam and Noah in London can just never be topped.
1. The New Me
Now this one seems a bit corny, so I'm sorry, but it is incredibly true. I considered myself to be a pretty independent person after starting at Ithaca College, but studying abroad is a swift kick in the pants to slap you into reality. I was forced to handle a lot of sticky situations on my own. I have to rely on my own judgement and decision making skills in order to make the most of my trip as well as stay safe. Aside from the independence I believed I gained, I think overall I changed as a person. It is physically impossible to travel the world and now be changed internally. (I suppose you could argue I also changed externally based on my physical changes as well, i.e the beer gut and double chin I have gained from eating and drinking to my heart's desire.) I saw so many amazing things and my eyes were opened. Being open minded gains a whole new meaning when you have the ability to travel.
Coming home has been bittersweet and most definitely reverse culture shock. Although I am happy to see family and friends as well as have a Cracked Pepper Turkey Sandwich every single day for lunch, I miss London more than I can possibly express. I'll miss the convenience of public transportation via the tube and buses, the friendliness of the cab drivers as well as the people.
Overall, this journey was the trip of a lifetime. While I accomplished so much, I now hunger for more. I'm already trying to figure out when I can go back to the city that has stolen my heart and even extend the already lengthy list of places I have seen. It is hard to believe that I am only 20 years old and have already seen more of the world than some people see in a lifetime. I am so incredibly blessed to have had the ability to spend four months in London. People say that home is where the heart is and a piece of my heart will always lie at 29 Shorrolds Road, London. This past semester has been a whirlwind. There were many laughs, tears, lost phones and even some injuries, but I would not change a single thing. I cannot believe the semester I have waited more than half of my life for has finally come to an end. While my studying abroad has ended, this is nowhere near the end of my travels. Thank you London for the time of my life, but Los Angeles, get ready, I'm coming for you next.
I started off this blog to make it easier for everyone to stay updated, but now I realize that this was for me too. I'll be able to look back whenever I want and reminisce the moments that truly changed my life. Thank you all for following my blog and being genuinely interested in what I have been up to this semester. Whether it was for the pictures, my corny cliches or just to see what I was doing on a Monday night, I truly thank you for everything.
Sending lots of love from my bed in New York,
Paige Xx
Also a special thanks to everyone at the ICLC for making my time truly wonderful :)
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