My Second Home
Mason Domico
The opportunity to study abroad in a foreign country for the past three and a half months has been such a blessing and I can truly call London my second home. Leaving this upcoming Saturday will be a overwhelming day and certainly full of emotions. There will be many things that I will miss the most about living and learning in London. From the people I have met along the way to the relationships that I have built with my teachers and fellow classmates, it will all stick with me after I leave this place and return back to the United States. Studying in London compared to Providence, Rhode Island is completely polar opposite and after being here for so long I came to realize that studying in a city so large as London has been the best time of my life. I was certainly skeptical in January as to how I would adapt in this new environment and way of living but once a week or two passed, I started to feel at home in this new place. I will definitely miss every aspect of London, but some things will hurt more once I return back home. Being able to take the tube into the city, walking around and seeing all the magnificent monuments and memorials of the past, and traveling with my other study abroad friends around the UK are just a few things I will miss.
One of my favorite aspects of learning in London had to be how the teachers not only taught in class but also incorporated field trips to places such as the Tate Britain, the British Museum, and the Imperial War Museum. These small, three hour field trips brought a different style of teaching and having the ability to go to these historical places and not just reading about them was amazing. Besides the physical attractions that are breathtaking to see in London, the tube will definitely be missed once I depart back home. Even though its only a form of transportation, it was part of my life each and every day. At the beginning of my abroad experience I had a hard time navigating around the tube and now I can say that I have mastered the tube. Being able to master such a overwhelming form of transportation makes me feel that I am a citizen of London and that I belong here. Another aspect that I will miss once I leave London will be the feeling of living on my own. Even though at Providence I still do live on my own and care for myself, living in London felt much more different and I had a feeling of adulthood. From getting my own groceries, to traveling the world with my friends, and also using public transportation as my means of traveling around made me realize that after college is a new stage in my life and these last three months has been a preview to my future.
Even though I can not wait to get back to Providence and celebrate my senior year, London will hold a special place in my heart. I can not wait to go back home and share all of the memories in the last few months with my family and friends and show them how beautiful our world is. Hopefully one day you are talking about the same memories that I have had in London and I hope my stories and experiences made you thinking about studying abroad and traveling the world.
