Why, you might ask, would a person who is happy at
Lawrence want to leave and study abroad for a term? I ask
myself that question a lot, as I was perfectly happy with
my life at Lawrence, and even Downer food was growing on
me. So why would I leave and move to London for a term?Well that’s just it – a term. I’ll be back before I know
it. While I’m here, I’m living it up. And time is flying
by too fast. Yes, while Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and
Abbey Road, among many other London landmarks and
countless (FREE) museums have made the trip exciting,
there is more to studying abroad than being a tourist. So
many other aspects make studying abroad rock my socks off,
and it’s not necessarily the studying…
In the past month I’ve made some discoveries, things that
I can’t capture on a digital camera and send back home.
I love learning to be British. I’m not just studying here
for a term – I’m becoming a Londoner. It’s a hard
transition to make, but, all of its complexities and challenges
aside, it’s fun, too. Maybe it’s because I’m new at this,
but riding the tube to anywhere in the city, though it may
be dirty, smelly, and hot, has its own charms.
I love (and hate) when it rains. It’s London rain: a few
times a day the sky just opens up, and in seconds the
street is freckled with umbrellas. Minutes later, dry
again. There’s something poetic about it that it doesn’t
bother you so much, until your feet are soaked and your
fingers are icy.
I love blowing my life savings on the time of my life:
exploring Europe, seeing shows and concerts, and
Europeanizing my wardrobe. Suddenly, Conkey’s doesn’t seem
nearly as bad of a rip-off as it once did, compared to
prices in British pounds.
I love that I feel confident, in a place I have no
business being confident. I feel adult walking around the
city by myself with an umbrella, a newspaper, my iPod, and
a purpose.
That’s right, you get CREDIT for this. Well, this and
taking three classes.
I’d rather not dwell on the challenges I face, and there
are challenges. But seriously, studying abroad is totally
worth giving up a term in Wisconsin, no matter where you
go. Lawrence gives you this opportunity, and it’s a shame
not to jump on it, even if it means missing Thanksgiving
dinner, the World Series, the first presidential election
you can vote in (and a campus visit by John Kerry), and
everything else that happens in three months’ time. ((GO
RED SOX!!))