I never imagined that I would be studying in London, the city I had only read about in Sophie Kinsella books. September of 2016, I took two suitcases and flew alone to the United Kingdom for the first time in my life.
I was at London for a semester study abroad program at Kings College London. Going into college, I had never thought about studying abroad as an option, but when the time came, the possibility of exploring a whole new city was exhilarating.
My apartment in Stratford, about 30 minutes by tube from London, was amazing. It was the newest dorm and it was a beautiful building in an area that was more suburban than London. Although not the best neighborhood, my dorm was right by the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, home of the 2012 Summer Olympics. That park was a 5-minute walk from me. It was even better than living near Central Park.
The first thing I did arriving in Stratford was go to the Westfield Mall (also a 5-minute walk, possibly even less) and shop for the necessities: a pillow, bedsheets, a blanket. All by myself. Now I had been in malls before, and super crowded ones, but this was a completely new experience. Growing up all my life in the States, it felt so exhilarating to be walking among people who were talking in a different accent, as silly as that may sound.
The Stratford Mall was packed. Back in the Garden State Mall, I would be annoyed at the crowds, but in Stratford, I simply wanted to stand and take everything in (which I did, by taking a bunch of photos, of the escalator, showing everyone I was a tourist).
After lugging my sleeping necessities back to my dorm, I was exhausted. There were so many tasks left to do, and I couldn't stand up straight anymore, but everything was so exciting. Not only was I in a completely new city, country, continent, but I was also taking my steps to becoming an adult. I didn't feel scared at all - I was ready.
