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...

Share Your London Experience!

If anyone has had the opportunity to study abroad or visit London, please share your stories and experiences with us! I would love to see your pictures from London and read about your explorations of the city. If you have any recommendations when visiting London that I haven't already discussed, I would very much appreciate your thoughts!

Please email any stories or pictures of your London experience to caromurray23atgmail.com.

Happy sharing!

A Mother's Excursion to London: A Narrative

For this post, I want to share my mother's excursion to London. As I previously mentioned, my mother and father visited me in London half way through the semester. Here is my narrative about my mother.

March 15, 2014. That was the day I found out that I was going to study abroad in London for my fall semester of 2014. It was such a happy day for me. I was finally getting my dream of traveling abroad to a place I've always wanted to see. The moment I found out I was studying abroad in London, I called my mom. To give a little background on my mother, she was born in the Bronx in 1960. She lived with her Italian mother, father, two brothers, grandmother, aunt, and uncle. It was a small town house, small enough that she had to share a bedroom with her grandmother. She grew up in an extremely over protected home. She was never allowed to leave the house by herself and couldn't have friends come over. The only things she could do was inside the house with her family. When she turned 18 years old, she had the opportunity to travel to Italy to visit her family. She went with her Aunt Rosemary for an entire summer before college. That was her only chance to go abroad and she could only do it because she was with her family.

When my mother heard the news that I was traveling abroad, she held back some of her excitement. Growing up, my mother did not raise my sister and I in the environment that she was raised in. She protected us like any other mother would, but also wanted us to have childhood memories and experiences that we could remember forever. She was a caring and loving mother and gave my sister and I more than we could ever need. That's why I understand why she was hesitant about my living abroad for 4 months. She didn't understand the need to go abroad for 4 months when I was having the time of my life at school. She didn't know why I would want to put my life in danger and be a young girl in foreign countries. At the same time, she was raised in a very different environment than I was. Additionally, in our area, studying abroad is popular among those students whose parents give them enough money to go. My mother made it very clear that she would not finance my study abroad trip. Therefore, that summer, along with the money I would make during my internship in London, I would have made enough to go abroad.

On the other hand, my father had the traveling bug. Because my mother is so hesitant on traveling, we never went on a European vacation as a family. So when I called my father about my acceptance into the London program, the first thing he said was, "I'm booking a trip!". This made me so excited because by the time my dad wanted to come, it would be halfway through the program and I would have a solid knowledge of London. Along with my mother's issues on flying, I knew it was going to be difficult to get her on a plane to visit me. There were so many conversations about how it would be great for them to come visit because I could be homesick and the fact that they have never been to London this would be a great opportunity to see a different place. My parents, father especially, were so stressed out from work that they desperately need this vacation.

Although I wasn't home, I could only imagine what my father went through the night before their flight to London. "How could you do this to me, Jerry?! I told you I didn't want to take a 6 hour flight! How am I going to stay asleep?". That's when my father had the best idea. Fast forward to the flight the next day, 2 ativans, and a vodka tonic later, my mother was conked out for the entire flight. My father couldn't even wake her up to get off the plane. A few hours later, I met my parents at the airport and the moment I saw them, I started to cry. I didn't realize how excited I would be to see them until I actually saw them.

Looking back, I don't know how I would have lasted 4 months without seeing my family. The fact that my mother didn't even approve of me leaving made me feel terrible. Having her see the sights in London and spending 10 days with my parents away from my friends was just what I needed halfway through the semester.  By the end of their trip, my mother admitted that she understood why I fell in love with London. She didn't even want to leave at the end of her trip.

This is a picture of our first adventure in London at the Tower of London. Can you tell that just a few hours previous, they got off a 6 hour flight from New York? Look at how happy they are in this picture. To think that she didn't want to fly because she was afraid. It's crazy how the things that hold us back are just the things that we need in our life. I am so proud of my mother and the courage that she had to leave New York and see the world. I can't wait for her next excursion across the pond!

You Can Fly, You Can Fly, You Can Fly

Think back to when you were a child. What was your favorite movie? Some of my favorite movies were made by Disney. Take Peter Pan. He never had to deal with issues, such as growing up. Similiar to Peter Pan, I never had to deal with issues as a kid. For example, airports are a huge issue to parents all around the world. When I was a kid, I used to love airports. It was easy to love airports since I didn't have to check-in, weigh my luggage, print my tickets, or put everything on the belt to be searched by TSA. All I had to do was wait on line besides my parents. I didn't know how much aggravation and stress a person could be under in an airport until I left for London.

I flew out of John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The last flight that I took before this was to Orlando, Florida from Westchester Airport in New York. At Westchester Airport, you can show up 30 minutes before your flight and still make it (a little exaggerated, but it's been done before). Driving into JFK was a nightmare. Granted, my flight was at 6:20 pm, so we had to drive in the middle of the afternoon. Honestly, it doesn't matter what time you get to JFK it's always busy. Thankfully when we got inside the terminal, it wasn't too terrible. We went straight to the weights to make sure both of my luggages were 50 lbs. or under. At that point, there wasn't much else to do with my parents and sister but say goodbye. I didn't know it was going to be hard to leave my parents. I've gone on a few trips without my family but never for 4 months. After the tears and hugs, I breezed through check-in and security. Unfortunately no one I knew was on my flight there, so I waited by myself. I made a few phone calls to family members and friends and waited for my incredible journey to Heathrow.

Heathrow is one of the most amazing airports I've ever been to.  It's clean, organized, and the people are friendly. I arrived in Heathrow at 7:00 am the next morning, and the bus to our flats was not picking us up until 12:00 pm. I ran into one of my flatmates who also arrived extremely early, so we sat and got breakfast together. I was very overwhelmed when we ordered our breakfast because everything was in pounds. It was a good thing that I converted some dollars into pounds before I left for London. There are also so many shops in Heathrow that are duty free so you don't have to pay taxes on the very expensive items you are purchasing.

Transportation to and from Heathrow is very easy. There are many ways to do it. First, there is the Heathrow Express. This is an overground train that runs from the airport to Paddington. This is the quickest way to get into central London and the second most expensive. A one-way ticket is 21 pounds, which is about $33. The next option is the tube. The tube is about 4 pounds one-way and will take you from Heathrow to many tube stations in central London. However, this will take about an hour and a half. The third option is to book a bus, either National Express or Easy Bus. Although not the most reliable, it is cost efficient and takes a little less time than the tube. The last option would be to take a cab. The most expensive option, this will take you directly to your flat and will be the second quickest way to get to your final destination.

There are other airports in London that I used to travel throughout Europe. The other airports are Stansted and Gatwick. I've never flown out of Gatwick. I frequently flew out of Stansted because it had the cheapest airlines. RyanAir is an extremely cost effective airline that flies to many major cities in Europe. My flight to Dublin was $20 on RyanAir. However, the seats are uncomfortable, the flights never depart on time, and if your bag doesn't fit in overhead storage you are forced to pay an absurd amount of money. The only way to get to Stansted is by bus or cab. Everytime we had a flight from Stansted, our cab was 60 pounds. Despite this, the cost of traveling evened out since our flights were so cheap.

My recommendation is to go flight shopping before you impulse book a flight from London. There are so many ways to get around Europe and you can definitely find cheap ways to travel if you spend enough time researching flights, trains, and buses. I took a bus from London to Amsterdam for $15 and a bus from London to Paris for $35. Although very long and uncomfortable, I got to save money! If anyone needs any specific recommendations for a trip they already have planned or for future trips, please contact me!

What Not To Do in London

All of my previous blog posts have been about my favorite aspects of London and why the city is a great place to visit. Although I believe that London is a wonderful place to live and start one's career, there are definitely ways to not act or things to not do before entering the city. I wish I knew what not to do before I left for London for 4 months. It's inevitable that in large cities, such as London, there are going to be many tourists that flood the streets. In the beginning of my study abroad in London, I really didn't know the norms of how people act. For anyone visiting London in the future, these are some ways in which you can avoid being seen as a tourist.

Transport Advice

You will definitely be spotted out as a tourist if you don't read this advice. I've mentioned this before, but I don't think I can stress it enough. You must stand on the left side of the escalator if you want to stand still. The right side of the escalator is for walking up or down. Especially during peak hours of the day when people are rushing to get to work, the locals are very adamant about this rule. There are no signs for this rule anywhere. It's an unspoken rule that has been passed down for generations. Another tidbit would be to walk away from the top of the escalator. Many tourists wait at the top and try to figure out which exit to use. It's much easier if you move to the side and discuss what you want to do in a less busy section. It's also important to note that the Tube is more expensive during peak hours. Try to plan your journey during the middle of the morning. This will allow you to enjoy your traveling instead of getting angry from the busy Tube rides. 

Walking Advice 

It's not a secret that New Yorkers are fast paced in every way possible. The lifestyle in London is very similar to that of New York. People don't like slow walkers. I know it's hard not to walk at a slower speed in a new city because you want to sink everything in that you see. If you see something that you want to stop and stare at, please move into a less crowded area. The locals treat the sidewalk like a street: walk on the side you would drive on. The city of London has very wide sidewalks, making it easy to have some room between people. I found that Londoners don't have very much emotion or like to be close to people. If you act like you know what you're doing, you'll be set! 

Eating Out Advice

The one stereotype about Americans that Europeans are completely spot on about is that we are LOUD people. When we go out to eat, we like to laugh and enjoy our company as loud as we can. London is very different from this. When my friends and I went out to eat in London, we were by far the loudest in all of the pubs. It's very awkward when strangers give you the stink eye because they know that you are American just from the decibel level of your voice. Although listening to live music in a pub in London is so much fun, remember who you are surrounded by. 

Safety Advice 

Even though pick-pocketing is more notorious in eastern Europe, it is still possible that it can happen to you in London. Keep your cell phone, wallet, and any valuable items out of sight when walking the streets of London. When you are at outdoor markets or crowded touristy areas, double check to see that everything is stored safety in your purse or your pockets. One of my flatmates was eating lunch outside on High Street Kensington (one of the more "posh" places in London) and her backpack was sitting at her feet. She looked at the waiter to order her sandwich, and when she looked down, her backpack was stolen. She lost her computer, wallet, and books within 1 minute of looking away. It truly can happen to anyone anywhere.

Although some of this advice may seem obvious, you will find yourself waiting in the middle of a Tube station not knowing where to go and with everyone glaring at you for hogging the escalator entrance. Follow the above advice and you will sail your way through the beautiful city!

Interview with Helen Walshe

When my parents came to visit me during October 2014, they stayed in a Hilton Hotel in Kensington. It was the perfect location for us because it falls directly in between my campus and my flat. My parents have never been to London before and I have only been in the city a couple of months beforehand. I wanted to show them the most famous attractions in London before they explored the outskirts of the city. Unfortunately, my parents came to London in the beginning of the week, so I couldn't take off time from class to visit with them. The woman at the concierge desk was extremely helpful in giving my parents tips on what tours to go on and such. For example, my mother wanted to go see the Cotswolds, Oxford, and Cambridge. Helen Walshe, the concierge at the time, made my parents the happiest tourists that week. She was energetic, organized, and always willing to give us restaurant suggestions. At the end of the trip, she gave us her contact information and assured us that if we were ever to come back to London, she would give us more recommendations for places to visit. I wanted to reach out to her again and ask her who she really is and find out her life story. Below is my interview with Helen Walshe.

CM: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today, Ms. Walshe. I know it was hard to find a time to speak with the time change.

HW: Oh, not a problem at all dear! It's a pleasure to speak with you again and connect after a few months.

CM: Great! I was wondering if you could tell me a little about your life and how you got to where you are now.

HW: Sure. Well, I grew up in Ireland, actually, in a small town called Donard in County Wicklow. It's all grassland with a very small village and every single person in the town knows each other. Although my mother still lives there, I wanted to get out and live in a big city. So, I attended university in Dublin and received my degree in accounting. During this time, it was incredibly difficult to find a job in the field of accounting. I tried to see if I could make the jump over the pond to America, but my accounting degree wouldn't have transferred. I would have had to re-do my university studies, which was something I just couldn't afford. The next best thing to America in my mind was London. I moved over a few years after university and started to job hunt. Although it wasn't easy leaving my family, I needed to see for myself what was beyond County Wicklow.

CM: Wow, that's crazy. Even though I was abroad for 4 months, I really missed my family. I don't know how you did it.

HW: It was hard in the beginning, especially because I knew no one in London and had no job. That's when I started to look into hotels.

CM: Oh, that's interesting. How did that happen?

HW: It sounds really random and I'm not too sure how it happened. It almost just fell into my lap. You see, since I didn't have a job at the time, I had so much time to explore London. I had the chance to see some darling "off-the-beaten-path" pubs and shops. It was such a freeing time to not have a worry in the world. I knew it couldn't last forever, so I decided to try and combine my knowledge of the city and the lessons I learned at university from accounting. I started to walk into hotels and ask them if they had any job openings. I got my first job as an Accountant at the Bayswater Inn Hotel. I was able to use my accounting degree and still have friendly interaction with visitors to London.

CM: Honestly, the hotel business is the perfect job for you because you are so friendly and welcoming to strangers (like my parents and myself)! It's funny, I'm an accounting major at my university in New York City and accountants are known to be dry and boring. In my opinion, we contradict that stereotype. Tell me more about your experiences at this hotel.

HW: Wow, it's quite interesting that the view of accountants on both continents are similar. Anyways, I loved working at the hotel. It let me us my knowledge of accounting. As time went on, I got promoted to Manager and Accountant at the hotel. It was quite an experience because I came from having no job to managing a hotel in London. Around 5 years later, I wanted something different. I thought I could use my experience with roaming the streets of London by myself to a higher degree. That's how I ended up at my job at the Hilton Hotel in Kensington.

CM: It's really refreshing to hear that I don't have to use my accounting degree strictly for accounting jobs. I think you have a great personality to interact with visitors to London. You were great with my parents and me who really didn't know our way around London.

HW: The great part about my job is that I get to meet some unique people from all over the world. I haven't really traveled outside the UK, so I love getting to speak with Australians, Germans, Italians, Americans, and so much more.

CM: I never really thought of the hotel business to be a networking opportunity. I mean, I got in contact with you after a few months and just a few interactions between each other!

HW: Exactly! It's nice that my two daughters get to work in the hotel with me. They are able to help out with check-in. It's quite expensive to travel outside the UK, so their interactions with the world happens right here in London.

CM: That's awesome that you get to keep your career inside the family. Do you ever think of switching hotels or retiring after so many years?

HW: I think once I stop thinking of "cool" or "trendy" places to visit in London is when I'll let a younger girl take over my position.

CM: So kind of you! Well, I want to thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. Next time I'm in London, which I hope is very soon, I'll definitely stop by to visit!

HW: Anytime! It's been so nice to speak to you and to share my experiences in London. If I ever make my way across the pond, I'll give you a ring. Cheers, then!

CM: Looking forward to it!


There you have it, folks! She truly is the epitome of a local Brit. It's incredible that she had courage to leave her family in her village in Ireland and explore the United Kingdom. She finds pride in the work that she does. Even with an accounting degree, she believes that the hotel business is where she belongs. Helen Walshe is an inspiration for all of the aspiring Accountants out there who don't think that's the career path for them!

London at Fordham

Before attending Fordham my freshman year, I was assigned a random roommate. The only characteristics that I knew about this girl was based off of the roommate survey that I took a few months before. I knew from the survey that she liked to go to bed early and that she was neat and organized. A week before school began, I received an email from Fordham stating the name of my roommate. Her name was Laura Mahmoudian. Just like any other student who was assigned a random roommate, I went on Facebook to try to find pictures of her. Unfortunately, she did not have a Facebook profile at the time. She was nowhere to be found on social media. At this point, I started to freak out. A few days before school began, I received an email from Laura introducing herself. She is originally from London and moved to the United States when she was 10 years old. Her mother is from Ireland, her father is from Iran, and they met in London at university. She has a twin sister that also attends Fordham with us. I was so excited to hear that my roommate was from London. I thought it was going to be the coolest thing that my roommate is European.

On the first day of freshman year, I met Laura for the first time. The first thing that struck me was her accent. Even though she has lived in America for half of her life, her accent was so strong at our first interaction. As she started to decorate the room, I noticed all of her pictures were from London. Her family still owns a flat in Ealing Broadway in West London, where they spend every summer. She has pictures at Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, and on the London Eye. One day, she asked me to grab her "trousers". At first, I was confused. However, in London, pants are called "trousers". At the end of each text she sent me, she replied "Cheers!". Instead of saying, "That sounds great" to going out to dinner, she would say, "That sounds grand!". In small and subtle ways, she brought the atmosphere in London to our room on Fordham's campus. Each day I spent with Laura, I learned more and more about London. She was one of the many reasons why I chose to study abroad in London. She would tell me stories of her days in the city and the magic she felt while walking the streets of London and I couldn't wait to cross the pond. 

Above is a picture of my roommate Laura and me in London. 3 years after our first day of freshman year, we became best friends. She was studying abroad in Paris when I was in London. At the end of October, she came to visit me for a weekend. It was so interesting to see her interact in London. She always spoke about the city, but I never had the chance to see her in London. Her accent was strong and she was so happy. She was truly in her element during our weekend in London.  Our dream is to move to her flat in London in 3-5 years for a short amount of time and enjoy the city in our 20s. Wouldn't that be grand?