It was exactly two days before I was about to leave for London for four weeks to study abroad. You’d think I’d be packing my things at that moment, so excited for the adventure I’d been looking forward to for months. Unfortunately, that was very far from the case. I was cooped up in my room, angrily throwing clothes into a suitcase while listening to any breakup song I could think of.
Going through a breakup this close to my trip was something I didn’t anticipate, but it was now something I had to live with. I did my best to leave the worst of my emotions behind me as I hopped on the nine-hour flight to my destination. Once I got there, I decided that even though I was feeling heartbroken, I still wanted to make the best out of this opportunity.
Unfortunately, my trip didn’t exactly start very smoothly. Within the first 24 hours of being in London for my program, I had my phone stolen by a thief on the streets. Since I didn’t have any better options for communication, I immediately ran to the Apple store to buy a very expensive replacement. The funny thing is, I was told by employees at the store that what happened to me was extremely common in the area, and I just happened to get very unlucky — because, of course.
While everyone else in the program was so excited and mapping out everything they wanted to do, I was trying to figure out a way to get my old phone number onto my brand-new British iPhone. With some virtual help from my parents and very supportive roommates, I finally got my phone situation figured out within a day or two and was officially ready to enjoy what I could in London.
During the first two weeks in the city, I did and saw a lot of incredible things, but there was this lingering cloud that would always fall over me. I would be witnessing some of the most beautiful architecture I’ve ever seen in my life or be walking around in some of the most picturesque areas in the city, but my mind would always be brought back to everything that happened before I left. I started to meet some incredible people and wanted to be open with them to solidify new friendships, but there was this blockage in my head when it came to communicating. I finally got to a point where I was exhausted from the same thought process and wanted to make the best of the time I had left in the city.
The final two weeks in the city held some of my best memories from the trip. I finally started taking down the mask and opening up to my roommates and new friends about everything. Luckily, they were all extremely caring and supportive. I started taking solo trips around the city to take it all in on my own time and going on my phone less so I could spend more time with my roommates. Being in such a lively city like London felt like such a reward with all there is to see and do, especially since I was chasing any kind of distraction.
Just when I thought the craziness and my unluckiness had come to an end, I sprained my ankle on stairs in the study center the day before I was supposed to fly back home to the States — because, of course. That day was also my final presentation day for the class I was taking, so when the time came, I hopped my way down the stairs to the classroom and presented my project, all on one foot. That night, everyone in my program wanted to go out on the town one last time since it was our final night in London. I hesitated to go just because it was still hard for me to walk, but my roommates forced me to, and I’m so glad they did.
That last night was probably the happiest I’d been in a while at the time. I looked around as I was singing along and making jokes with my new friends and realized that I made it. From being angry and heartbroken, to shut off and anxious, to happy and lively, I joked that the city had pretty much seen every version of me.
When I got back home to Florida, I felt weirdly replenished. I accomplished so much while studying abroad that I almost felt disconnected from the person I was before I left. I may not know everything there is to know about the city of London, but I do know now to expect the unexpected and make the best of it.
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