The end of the semester is a time of reflection. You might be reflecting on nights of fun with friends, old flames or some of the information you will be tested on in a few days. For me, I will be reflecting on a budding relationship that I hope will last forever.
The relationship I refer to is between the city of London and myself.
I have spent the past three months getting to know a completely new and unfamiliar city and, in the process, have learned not only about London, but also a lot about myself.
I don't mean to sound cliché, but before moving to London, I never thought I would be able to cut it in a European city. Not only do I have no sense of direction, but I'm also too stubborn to stop and ask for directions. Naturally, this is a problem when moving to a new -- and, frankly, enormous -- city.
After spending hours on several occasions wandering aimlessly around the streets of London, however, I have learned to swallow my pride and ask for directions -- or at least buy a map. This newly acquired skill came in handy while lost in the non-English speaking countries I traveled to during the semester.
In addition to overcoming my inability to navigate, I have learned how to be decisive. For some reason, when you put a group of American girls in a foreign city, it is impossible to get a straight answer out of them.
Time after time again, I would be out with friends, and it would be time to eat or find something else to do, but none of us could ever make a decision! We would stand there looking idly at one another, praying for someone to make a decision.
After wasting 10 minutes of my precious time one night in Paris, I finally realized that it would become my duty to be "the decider." Believe me folks, it is not an easy job, but someone has to do it.
Finally, I have perfected my conversational skills -- well, when speaking to Brits at least.
British people are not particularly easy to talk to and they tend to agitate easily. There is a whole silent etiquette code that must be obeyed when speaking to one.
For example, you must never say you voted for George Bush or even support him in any way. If you do, you can expect to be scoffed at and derided for the rest of the evening. Fortunately, I did not witness this firsthand but heard about it from an unlucky (and unwise) classmate.
Also, do not tell a British person you favor one football team (soccer in our world) over another unless you're willing to risk your life. The Brits, as with many other foreigners, are extremely passionate about their football. So if it accidentally slips that you are an Arsenal fan in front of a group of Manchester United fans, you might as well start running.
All in all, studying abroad in London has been a great experience, and I recommend it highly to anyone who has the opportunity to jump across the pond for a semester.
London is a great city with so much to offer, and one thing that eased the transition into a European lifestyle was the lack of a language barrier. The cultural barrier can be jarring at first, but at least if you understand what I've written so far, then you wont have a problem understanding the language.
As for me, I only have about three more weeks left abroad before returning to the United States, so I'm looking forward to learning even more about the new love of my life, London.
Courtney's column ran biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached atkessler@cavalierdaily.com.
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