Submitted by Haley Cohen on the 2014 spring semester study abroad program in London, England…
Even though I have been here for a little over a week, I still truly cannot believe I am living in London for an entire semester! I have been dreaming of studying abroad in a foreign country for so long and it still seems so surreal that the time has finally come. These past few days have been a bit overwhelming with adjusting to the time zone and moving into my new flat, but so far I am absolutely loving this city (even though I could definitely do without all this rain…) Since I arrived a few days before my program start date with my family, I was lucky enough to explore a lot of London with them prior to everyone else arriving which made me feel much more comfortable with the new city I will be living in for the next few months. Although I have been here before, it was only for a few days when I was younger so everything is still very new to me. Regardless, I have never lived in a foreign country before and I am so excited for all that is to come from this amazing once in a lifetime experience.
The first few days I was here with my family I was able to see a lot of London and its surrounding areas. From Windsor Castle to Borough Markets, from Camden Town to Oxford, from Stonehenge to Covent Gardens, it seemed like I covered every tourist attraction in the book which really gave me a feel for London and all the exciting sites it has to offer. Seeing all the various sites throughout London really helped me put the city into perspective and gave me a much better understanding of my surroundings.
Before I knew, it was time to say good-bye to my parents and welcome my Delaware and CAPA peers into our new home in West Kensington. These past few days have been a whirlwind of excitement and exhaustion, as experiencing London with my new friends is very different from experiencing London with my family, but each day has brought with it a new adventure. We have only been living in our flat for five days so far, but it really does feel like we have been living here forever. Although it hasn’t been the easiest trying to navigate our way using the tube and buses, and it may have taken us an extra 2 hours to get to where we need to be at times, getting lost in London is part of the adventure. We’re learning and growing from everything we have been doing here and I can already tell these are going to be the best four months of my life.
