L O N D O N

                The day this post gets published on the blog, will be my first full day back in Rhode Island in four months. How strange to think that I spent four months in a place so similar but still so completely different from home. As I am writing this, I am still in London and thus it is so weird to imagine how it will actually feel once I get back home.  I’m imagining that I will be feeling very strange, partially because I’m sure I will have jet lag, but also because I’ve just left my “home” that I spent four months of my life, and returned to my actual home, where I’ve spent the other 223 months of my life. So very bizarre. Isn’t it weird how after what was seemingly both a short span of time and also the longest four months ever (at certain points during the term) I could become so attached to a place? Do I necessarily feel attached to Roehampton, no. But I feel attached to the people I met here, as I said in my post a few weeks ago, and there are definitely places I feel a specific attachment to because of memories I had there.

                I think it is important to explain that I have always wanted to study in London, and I dreamt about it and the fact that I was lucky enough to study here is the most fantastic thing I have done with my life so far. I don’t want to sound like I’m flattering myself, but I am proud, I am very proud of myself for moving so far away from home, and being so successful at achieving basically what I set out to achieve in the first place. I cannot lie and say that these four months didn’t have some tough parts to them, because they certainly did. I was incredibly homesick for the first few weeks here, I found it hard to feel settled, but eventually I got into a routine. I found it hard to be away from all of the people I love so much, but I always kept in contact with them, and remembered that they all support me, they don’t want me to be having a bad time just because I miss them. Being away from everything that is normal to you forces you to create a new normal for yourself, it challenges you, and your independence. It also allows you to see how strong you actually are. There were definitely points in time where I felt like giving up, I remember during the first week, feeling anxious, and nervous and constantly thinking “I can’t do this, I need to go home”, which I actually did consider for a little while at the very start. I am however, very glad that I persevered. I wouldn’t be nearly as confident as I am now, if I had just gone back home. I have really learned so much while I have been here, about myself, and about the world. I know it sounds silly but I even feel like I understand what my position is in society right now, and what it could be if I work hard enough.

                Being in London on my own has motivated me to be better, than I feel I am right now, regardless of what people think of me right now (I’m talking personal image, people). I want to continue to push myself, to get out of my comfort zone. To experience new things all the time, and to never stop learning. To stay away from the rut and the bore of everyday life at home, by constantly doing thing that excite me. Why should they stop, just because I’m home? That’s all I’m saying…

                I really do love London, and I know that in a strange way I’ll always feel a sense of home here now that I’ve had this experience, but I am sure I am glad to be home now. I also know that I will return to live in London again, because I do love it that much and I can see a future for myself here. I plan to write a more in depth and “adventure” based post about London, and all the places I discovered while I was here. BUT for now I will leave you with this, my time in London has been the most strange, wonderful, challenging, beautiful, fun, stressful, scary, invigorating few months I have ever had… ever. Would I do a few things differently? Maybe, maybe not. It’s hard to say because I am not really sure whether it would change anything that much. Regardless I am so thankful and grateful for all of the time I have been able to spend here, and I look forward to returning… soon.
                                                                                                                                 Cheers!! xoxo

A D V E N T U R E

                The one bit of advice I’d like to lend is this - get lost. Get out there and get absolutely lost. This is the BEST way to be a real traveler, find your way around discover things you wouldn’t have otherwise seen had you just stuck to the so- called “straight and narrow”. It applies to all situations, not just necessarily because I am studying abroad, but in life at home too. Seriously. Feeling stuck in a rut? Take a walk, and ditch the map. Maybe at home you know where you’re going, but if you just let yourself wander, you’ll find things you never even knew about.

                I’m not saying do this in a stupid way and not to be aware of your surroundings, because of course safety is important, but in no way should you be afraid to get lost. The best things happen when you challenge your sense of direction, and quite frankly ingenuity. I say that because it’s funny to think about yourself wandering around, actually lost. And what you’d do to try and get to somewhere familiar again. Imagine how silly you look to people who know where they are going… and then throw that right out the window because it actually doesn’t matter.

The idea for this post came to me while I was lost yesterday, actually. And I know for a fact that I looked like an absolute moron, one because I was taking pictures of things everyone was ignoring, and because I’m sure that I probably looked over whelmed at least a tiny bit once I hit Oxford Street. I quite like the idea of taking pictures of things that people overlook, because I think they often offer the best photographs and I find it easier to appreciate things when I am walking around without a destination, so that explains that bit. But being in a place you’ve passed through but never actually explored, is always a bit over whelming, I won’t lie about that. But exploring and adventuring and being lost is also one of the greatest feelings. BUT it doesn’t even come close to the feeling you get when you finally figure out where you are, or make you way back to where you started, or end up exactly where you wanted to.

                This week alone I’ve been lost at least twice, and I’d have it no other way. I’d like to explain to the method behind my madness. I have been done with my classes for two weeks now, and find myself not having very much to do, and being on a budget over here, I am QUITE frugal with my money, unfortunately here it’s easy to loose pounds, and not in a good way. So, when I get up in the morning, I come up with a game plan. I choose a general area that I’d like to visit, if it’s close to campus, like within a 40 minute walking distance, I will walk there, to add a little bit more of an adventurous twist to my day. If not, because I have generally been to all of the places to explore around campus, I will look up the nearest tube or train station or bus stop and take my transit of choice for the day there. Upon my arrival, UNLESS there is something very specific I am looking for, I put my map away completely, and sometimes just hope that I’ll stumble upon the place I was looking for.

Sometimes it works, and sometimes I become hopelessly lost. Fortunately I have a very good sense of direction, and am quite vigilant in the fact that once I’ve been somewhere I tend to remember my way around. But either way I wouldn’t want it any other way. I wouldn’t want to know where I am going all of the time. I love to discover new places and new things. It’s more exciting to stumble upon something great, than to see something that everyone else already knows and thinks is great.

I’ve attached some of the pictures that I have taken, that could only come from exploration, pictures I took while I was walking around aimlessly, with no real purpose or destination. So here’s to adventure, and getting lost!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cheers! xoxo

F R I E N D S

               As my time here in London is coming to an end, I just want to make a point to shout out to all of the friends I have made since I have been here. You have all been SO WONDERFUL to me the entire time I have been here, regardless of whether you’re just visiting like me, or you’re living in this wonderful city full time. I really do owe you all the biggest of thanks, and I can only hope that you think the same of me.

                First off, to my fellow study abroad peeps, I am impressed with all of us together as a student body, to be brave enough to come out here completely alone and do something so incredibly different from what our normal lives are like at home. There is an undeniable bond between exchange students, because let’s face it, we’re all in the same boat here. We get here, disoriented from a monstrously long flight and then realize that we’ve now got to make friends as quickly as possible to avoid any awkward loneliness.

                To my flat mates, thank you for cultivating such an accepting and friendly environment. I really appreciate it, and I really appreciate always knowing there was someone to talk to just down the hall if I ever needed it. Also, thank you for teaching me how to live with someone other than the people I’ve lived with for my entire life (sorry Mom and Dad, you guys are great tooJ).

                To all the other wonderful souls I’ve met since I have been here, you’ve all been lovely. Whether you’re one of my classmates, who put up with my goofy accent all semester, or just a friend from another school I really appreciate all you have done for me. I know that without each and every one of you (top two groups included), I would have been MISERABLE. So thanks, because at some point or another I am positive you have put a smile on my face, and there isn’t anything better than that. I can only hope that I’ve done the same for you.

                So BIG THANKS, and much love to you all as we go our separate ways. BUT HEY, don’t be a stranger, send me a message every now and again, I’ll look out for them! Also if you’d like any of my other contact information, like an email or something…. or I don’t know maybe you still fax… REGARDLESS I’d be happy to give it to you if you just ask! And remember, if you ever find yourself hanging around in Rhode Island, YOU KNOW JUST THE GIRL TO CALL!

Here’s to all of our memories!! Thanks a bunch!!

Keep being wonderful!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cheers!! Xoxo

P.S. I WISH I had some lovely photos of us all together; but I didn’t want to seem unfair, because I only had a few, because in my opinion you all deserve a photo feature!

F O O D R E V O L U T I O N

                There is quite an interesting food scene here in London, and as someone who is always looking for new and innovative recipes on Pinterest, I can certainly appreciate it. You can pretty much get anything you want here in London, whether it’s a typical English pie, an Indian curry or something completely new and different that you’re looking for, you are never more than a 5 minute walk away from exactly what you want.

                With so many options available to me all the time, I feel constantly pressured to try as many new places and things as possible, because unlike everyone’s common misconceptions, British food is NOT bland. I mean, some of it is, but honestly there is a 0.0001% chance that you’d go out to a restaurant here and get served a bland meal unless you intentionally order it. Again, I’d like to emphasize the fact that you can really get anything here, and food innovation is a really big thing. Meals that you would have never been served in a restaurant 2 years ago are super popular here now. There is also a rise in “health” foods, and restaurants that serve new, healthy meals. Many of these meals feature the new superfoods that have recently taken over the globe.

                I mean things like avocado. Why was avocado considered so exotic until recently? Who knows, and also who made it super popular all of a sudden? Or Chia seeds? Who decided instead of rubbing them on their bust of Scooby-doo they were going to sprinkle them on their oatmeal to explore the health benefits. This rise in health foods has driven me to explore the idea of food, and to innovate my own meals. To mix things you’d never think of, and great delicious (and sometimes disgusting) meals. Its all about trial and error with food innovation, I’m sure of that. One of the best ways I have personally found this out is to type two random ingredients into Pinterest and to see which recipes come up. Really, if you’ve got time, give it a try.

                SORRY I got distracted, I was talking about the food scene here in London, and these same strange new food innovations are on menus across the city, like avocado toast (I KNOW THAT IS NOT NEW ANYMORE), where now you’re paying upwards of 8 pounds for two slices of toasted bread with mashed up avocado on it. Funny how you could make that for half the price at home, but would never think to. There are also a lot of places here that cater to vegetarians or vegans, this city is really incredible for anyone with any sort of dietary restriction, self-imposed or not, as almost every restaurant has options for everyone.

                Basically, I encourage you to try something new, try these new health foods as they are currently in high demand, you’ll probably be able to find them on menus near you soon, and they aren’t the same Brussels sprouts or lima beans that you used to think of when you thought of health foods, they are delicious combinations of fruit and vegetables that are revolutionizing the food scene. I am positive these new delicious health foods can certainly help change the way my generation and the next generations look at food, and I think that London with its up and coming restaurants, along with the ones that have been kicking around for a while will be a large part of that shift in thinking.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Cheers!! xoxo