"I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself."
-- James Baldwin
Last fall, I studied abroad through the NYU in London program. Though I took classes at the University of London's facilities and visited all the "must-see" sites of the beautiful and thriving city, I found that my greatest learning experiences did not take place in a museum or classroom.
As clichéd as this might sound, developing a life for myself in another country helped me to discover a strong sense of independence and self-reliance as well as a new outlook on people. Studying abroad in London was a rich, life-altering experience, one for which I was willing and even glad to miss a semester at the University. That's saying something.
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
Traveling, more specifically traveling by public transportation, was one of the most enlightening experiences I had while studying abroad.
I will never forget taking a cab to the bus stop, bus to the airport, plane to another airport, bus to the middle of the city and cab from a random bus stop to a more-than-questionable hostel just to spend a weekend in Barcelona.
My two girlfriends and I developed a close relationship with "Nick," our STA Travel representative, who would sigh every time the three of us strolled into the travel agency. He would always say "I think I remember you guys" in a sarcastic tone of voice. Yes, we were the ones who made him research dozens of hostels in Barcelona, only to settle on one we later discovered was chock-full of Danish skater boys. We were the ones who made him spend two hours planning our excursion through Italy, synchronizing train times, flights and hotel locations.
"Now we want to go to Paris, Nick!" we said. "This is our last trip, so let's make it good!"
And good it was. We stayed at the InterContinental Paris, a five-star hotel just a five-minute walk away from the Louvre, due to some roundabout twist and turn of events. Not a bad way to end the semester.
One of the most amusing pictures I have from my time abroad is six of my new NYU friends crowded anxiously around a map in the Amsterdam underground station, desperately trying to locate our "hotel." After dodging the hundreds of bicycles zooming through the streets and strolling by dozens of "coffee shops," one not so inconspicuously named "Mellow Yellow," we finally arrived at our hotel, which was garishly lit with lights reminiscent of a very well-known district that happened to be in the same city.
My traveling experiences within the city of London were just as memorable. One night I failed to hail a cab when coming home from a club in Piccadilly Circus on a busy Saturday night and had to take a rickshaw halfway across London. The 30 pounds (a little more than $60) missing from my wallet in the morning was a painful reminder that traveling, in any form, requires planning, knowledge, practice and experience.
Knowing how to travel is the first crucial element to master when living in a foreign country, because in order to do anything, you've got to get there first.
"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day."
-- Vincent Van Gogh
I walked into my first London nightclub. It was relatively empty; my friends and I had to arrive early as we were not on the "list." House music is blaring. A particularly inebriated woman was grinding around on the dance floor while several people looked on and, spotting that we are not from London (the ability of British and Europeans to spot Americans is unreal) she attempted to teach us some of her dance moves. I ended the evening sweaty and tired, happily munching fries with mayo -- the "chip" condiment of choice in the U.K. -- as my friends and I hailed a Black Cab to go home.
I had not one ordinary night while studying abroad.
In mid-October I ended up at the exclusive Chinawhite, a nightclub frequented by princes and other members of British high society. How my friends and I got into a club usually reserved for celebrities, CEOs and their entourages was beyond my understanding. The décor was Asian-inspired with delicate paper umbrellas, plush couches reserved for important people and 12 pound cocktails (about $24). Though we were intimidated at first, we ended the evening chatting it up with Daniel Erdman, a hairstylist to the stars who frequently appears on the Style Channel.
Far from the typical evening of London pub-hopping, this night showed me that if you are willing to explore a city, the rewards are endless.
I had the best pizza of my life and cheap wine in a tiny crevice of Rome. Paris led me to Chinese food in a local spot in Montmartre and cappuccinos in a quaint little café followed by dancing at ShowCase, a club nestled under a bridge blaring house music.
I found there were many similarities between youth culture in the U.K. and in the United States. For example, late-night eating is all the rage in London, but it's kabobs, not Little John's or the White Spot. Everyone loves to dance, but it's to house music, not hip-hop or pop or 80s rock. And people are surprisingly friendly if you only take the chance to get to know them.
"The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land."
G.K. Chesterton
The surreal feeling of setting foot on American soil after nearly four months of missing a Starbucks tall latte that costs less than $8, fully-stocked grocery stores, the ability to drive myself anywhere and, of course, my mom is difficult to describe.
After deciding to write this piece, I consulted my study abroad advisor, Chris Payne, who is in charge of the NYU in London program at the University as well as other study abroad programs. He helped me reflect on my experiences abroad and offered helpful advice for students who are interested in studying abroad themselves.
Before we left last fall, he told us, "You can't expect people to engage you. You have to engage them."
This couldn't be closer to the truth.
Aside from the close bonds I made with the NYU students with whom I lived and traveled, I met some vastly different individuals throughout England and in continental Europe. My friends and I met an old Italian man in Venice who kindly made dinner reservations for us at the "best place in the city" and had lunch in Paris with a retired couple from the Cotswolds of England. By engaging individuals, I was able to engage the country, city and culture as a whole. I lived not as a tourist, but as a temporary member of the society.
His best piece of advice? "Get into a routine so that you really feel like you're living there."
I agree wholeheartedly. My routine consisted of a biweekly pilgrimage on the Tube (I took the "Circle Line Westbound" and got off at "Baker Street, change for the Bakerloo Line") to Regent's Park to run in the mornings. Every Wednesday night after my biology lab, a friend and I indulged in Hummus Bros and wine from a shop close to our flat in Clerkenwell. And Friday mornings at 6, before hailing a taxi to the bus station or taking the Tube to the train station to leave London, Nero's coffee served to keep the whole group awake.
I made this city my own, and that is when it began to feel like home.
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