Submitted by Colette LaPorta on the 2018 summer session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Art and Design …
A seven hour plane ride. A week of jet lag. Early AM wake-ups. Long, late nights. Lots of rides on the tube, and time spent looking at the map. Too much walking. Testy showers. A lack of air conditioning. Miscommunication between accents. Famous designers. And a whole lot of new adventures later. Week one in London was a whirlwind. Seven days has gone by faster than ever and at the same time, I feel like seven days has been forever. We’ve learned and seen so much so fast, and it’s been a beautiful and incredible sensory overload. Sitting here, I’m sleep-deprived and sore, but happy, and I can not even begin to image what the next four weeks will bring.
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed since we’ve been here is not the sites, is not the food or the fun, but the people – the way they think, act, what they value and how they practice it. On just the first day here, we quickly found out that if you want a plastic bag, or bags for your groceries at the store, you have to pay for them. Charging money for each and every bag forces people to save and recycle ones they used previously. They don’t stock up here like we do, they don’t grocery shop long-term or in bulk, but rather buy food almost daily, as to not be wasteful. I can only imagine what they would think if they saw the field day of Americans in Costco. I previously had never thought of myself as not being mindful of my actions, but living this way for just a week has definitely made me a lot more aware- of myself, of my actions, my habits, of what it’s like to buy less and recycle more. A broke, college kid abroad can only hope this is also helping to save a dollar or two.
I think we have a lot to learn from them, but they definitely have a lot to learn from us as well. Now here I am, laying here out on a sunny balcony, experiencing such peace in such a big, busy city, reflecting on my time so far abroad. Bill was right when he said there was such magic in London.