Post-London Life

December 13, 2014. One of the saddest days of my life. Leaving London after spending 4 months molding friendships, exploring 11 different European cities, and eating my way through study abroad, I couldn't believe it was over. It was the 4 most magical and life-altering months of my life. I never knew that a city could change a person until that day. The night before I left London, everyone in my study abroad program decided to spend the last night all together in the dorms instead of going out one last time in London. We listened to some of our favorite music, popped some champagne, and reminisced on the best memories of the semester.

The day leading up to our final day in London was bittersweet. Our program leader, Graham Bolton, made a reservation for all 80 students at Kensington Gardens for a traditional English Tea. It was quite literally the perfect last full day in London. The sky was covered in mysterious clouds and the air felt as if a heavy rain just finished. I sat around a table with all of my flatmates and all was right in the world. I so desperately didn't want to leave London. It almost felt as if the next day was the beginning of a long distance relationship. At the end of the tea, we wanted to take one last picture as a group.

These are all of my closest friends from London. Pictured on the top row are James, Justin, Tony, and Dave (left to right). The second row is Colum, Caroline (me), David, Sydney, and Tommy (left to right). The bottom row are Stephanie and Meagan (left to right). The three girls are my flatmates and the four boys all live in the same flat in the basement of our building. Each of these wonderful people taught me something that I will always remember.

1. James - He was the singer of the group. James always had a smile on his face no matter what the situation was. I knew who he was back at Fordham, but we never really got to know each other. Being in London with James made me realize that I should never be afraid to introduce myself and just start a conversation out of the blue. You will never know what friendships you can make with a simple "hello". 
2. Justin - I knew Justin since my freshman year at Fordham. We were in the same classes and always said hello to each other in passing, but never really hung out....until London. He is the jolliest person I have ever come across. If you ever need someone to talk to, Justin is always there. 
3. Tony - Tony the Tiger! I never knew who Tony was until I came to London. There was never an awkward conversation with this kid. If we were ever alone, he always kept the conversation going with a funny story or a random question about my life. I loved how Tony appreciated his family. He always had a set time during the week to video chat with his parents, brother, and sister. This made me think a lot about how important family is when you are 3,000 miles away. 
4. Dave - A true gentleman. Dave and I became good friends the semester before we left for London. Dave felt like a protective older brother to me throughout the 4 months abroad. He always made sure that the girls made it home safely after a night out and came to check up on us in the morning if we overslept. He put a positive spin on every situation. If it was raining on a Saturday and we wanted to just hang out inside and watch a movie, Dave would say, "We're in London! It's raining! It's the perfect combination. Let's go walk around Portobello Road Market". He could honestly convince me to do anything. 
5. Colum - One of the funniest people I have ever met. He taught me that nothing can ruin a day unless you make it ruin your day. For example, he missed his flights to Dublin and Switzerland because he overslept. If it was me, I would have been so mad at myself. Colum brushed it under the rug and just booked another flight. There could be much worse things in life than missing a flight when you can easily book another. It may cost you a bit, but memories are priceless.
6. David - A true Brit. David was born in America but moved to London when he was in middle school and lived here most of his life. He knew London like the back of his hand. David was also up for anything. He was the only boy that came to Prague and Budapest with 5 girls. He had to share a train car and a hotel room with 5 girls (and one bathroom). The calmest person I have ever met, David has become one of my closest friends since London. I believe that his personality comes from having 2 younger sisters. He is caring, honest, and won't pressure people into things they don't want to do. 
7. Sydney - Sydney was one of my best friends from Fordham. I was so excited when she decided to study abroad in London, too. We were direct flatmates (in the same room) and we never had one fight. It was truly a miracle. We traveled to every city together, had all the same classes, worked the same hours at KPMG, and lived together. Our personalities are very different, and she taught me the true meaning of friendship and loyalty. Her mindset is to always have fun and love what you're doing and who you are doing it with. She is super outgoing and is the sweetest person to anyone. She is very much obsessed with her family, and leaving them for four months was very difficult. When she was homesick, I was always there for her because I knew how hard it was for her to be away for Sunday night dinners. She never let her problems affect other people, which is what I admire about her most. 
8. Tommy - Also known as "T-Grillz". Tommy is a dancing machine. Whenever we went to this one bar called "O'Neills", he would dance until they kicked us out. Any city we went to, he just had to dance. He taught me to never be embarrassed about who I truly am. You make better friendships on being yourself rather than being who you think you want to be. 
9. Stephanie - Like Justin, I've known Stephanie since my freshman year at Fordham. We were in the same Italian class. When you first meet Stephanie, she's a little bit shy and hard to open up. I knew that I had to wait for her to open up to me. A little bit into the semester, we both found a love for the BBC television drama "Downton Abbey".  Once we discovered that, we booked a day trip to Highclere Castle where the show is filmed. After that, we became instant friends. She taught me patience and appreciation for the little things in life. 
10. Meagan - Another girl that I've known since freshman year. Meagan and I lived in the same dorm building and were next door neighbors. We didn't really speak during our sophomore year and we re-connected in London. We spent many trips together because we were interested in the same things. She taught me to never judge a book by it's cover. I really knew nothing about Meagan except from her Facebook. I regret saying that because today, she is one of my best friends. We decided to live together back at Fordham for our senior year because we became so close. 

These 10 people shaped me into the person that I am today. They taught me so many things about myself that I never would have discovered without them. London wouldn't have been the same without these guys and I wonder what London will be like when I next visit. I ask myself how I will feel about London without them there. It's a scary thought, but I'm excited to see what the city will bring next time I visit. 

Coming back from London was extremely difficult. A couple of weeks after I arrived home, my grandmother passed away. I remember the last time I spoke to her when I was in London. I was walking through Notting Hill, picking up a few gifts for friends back home. I had a few minutes left on my UK cell phone plan to call America, so I decided to call my grandma. We spoke about my time in London. She said that I am thankful to have parents that give me the opportunity to travel with my friends for 4 months in a foreign country. I could tell on the phone that she sounded very different from when I last spoke to her. At that moment, I was thankful that I was coming home in a few days to see her. God granted me the last couple of weeks with her and I am so grateful for that. This made me realize that everything happens for a reason and that I was meant to come home on December 13, 2014 to have that time with my grandma before she left us. 

Studying abroad and my grandmother's death taught me that LIFE IS EXTREMELY SHORT. When I was abroad, there were some things that I regret spending money on or places that I was traveling to. But soon after the new year began, I came to the realization that we all must live in the moments and be happy. There is no reason to be upset for more than a few minutes over silly things. There are so many kids in the world that will never have the opportunity to live alone with friends in a foreign country for a long period of time. I know that I will never be able to have an opportunity similiar to "study abroad" ever again. On my flight home, I had 6 long hours to think about my semester and the things that I've done. There are some things that I wish I spent more time appreciating.  

There was so much culture and history engrained in London that I didn't fully appreciate until I came home. When my family friends and extended family members asked me about the historic locations in London that I visited, I could really only name a few. I wish I spent more time in all of the museums and historic tours that are offered throughout the city rather than going back to my favorite locations. Here's a short video on the top 10 attractions to visit in London.

Living in London gave me a real sense of self. In a previous post, I wrote about Clothing in London. It's interesting to think about myself before and after London. Yes, my style of clothing is very different. Coming back from London, I only wear black. However, in the summertime, I'm a super preppy Connecticut girl. I haven't experienced a fall/winter season in America since coming back from London. We shall see if I can successfully blend my London style and American style (check back in a few months to see what changes!). Besides my style, my personality has developed and matured drastically. Before coming to London, I was stubborn as all heck, sometimes cold, and wanted things my way. All my life I was like this. Looking back on London and the people that I created friendships with, I became extremely independent and worldly. I appreciate the travel bug inside me and the fact that things won't always go my way. I appreciate the need to spend time with family even if I am 3,   0   0   0 miles away and it has to be over video chat.  I've put together some drastic changes that I went through in London:

• dependent --> independent 
• cold --> open
• stubborn --> flexible 
• risk adverse --> risk taker 
• selfish --> selfless

As you can see, London changed me for the better. I've noticed throughout the 8 months that I've been home that these character traits have helped me excel not only in school, but also in my personal and professional life. Even though I miss saying "Mind the Gap" on the tube, all good things must come to an end. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I didn't study abroad: my life at Fordham would have been much different since everyone I knew was studying abroad and I wouldn't have had a taste of different cultures like I do now. I've spent all my life in the United States. Specifically, the tri-state area in the northeast. I believe, with every fiber of my being, that spending a significant period of time abroad gives you a new perspective on life. I've interacted with 11 different cultures in the matter of 4 months. I can fully recognize the meaning of life, value of cultures, and what makes the world go 'round. 

I love you, London. Cheers! 'Til next time...