Chelsea Cano

In all honesty, I studied abroad in fall 2018 mostly due to the fact that my program required me to. While I did want to study abroad during my undergraduate years, I never imagined that it would happen during my first year of university! I didn't have much of a choice in the country, program, or even the time that I would study abroad. Despite that, I don't regret anything. The reason I wanted to study abroad was to see the world and meet people I usually wouldn't have the chance to, and that's exactly what I was able to do in the Global Edge program even if it didn't occur in the way I expected it to. This program really forced me out of my comfort zone and made me discover new aspects of myself that I've come to embrace.

The London University system is a lot different than the American one and it introduced me to the most amazing and interesting cultural experiences of my time abroad. For one, their societies (what we refer to as clubs on this side of the pond) are complete with undergraduates, graduates, PhD students, people with multiple degrees who have long since graduated, and more. The interaction with these people from such a broad range of ages creates a more dynamic intellectual experience.

I'm from a small town in California where, as a child, I used to play in fields next to dairies. The move from my small town to the Bay Area was already a big enough change, so the move to London, one of Europe's largest and most historical cities, was astronomical in comparison. I not only had to grow accustomed to fast paced city life, but fast paced city life with the addition of cultural shock. It was definitely not the easiest transition. Also with big city life, comes not quite polite city people. I had multiple encounters when I was a physically shoved on the streets of London. In these situations, you have to respond with dignity. Don’t escalate the confrontation, but try to get away from the situation as quickly as safely as possible. Your safety always comes first.

I would start the day early in the morning, usually waking up before 8 am. I would get ready and finish up readings before hopping on a bus to class. After the packed conditions of rush hour, the refreshingly cool England air was amazing as I finished the rest of my journey to Bedford Square. I would finish classes and then have a quick lunch before my next one started. Depending on the day of the week, I would then either visit a museum or gallery that suited my fancy or just walk around certain parts of London. Other days I would stay after school to study then head over to my fencing lessons at the nearby student central and then go pubbing with my team.

I took Global 10A, IAS 45, Theatre, and COLWRIT R4B and I loved all of them. The smaller class sizes allow for a more intimate relationship with your professors and they're amazing people! Susie and Alan were the best. In addition to that, it was really interesting to learn about imperialism in the actual "empire that the sun never set on".

The most meaningful aspect of my time abroad was the people I met. They became really important people to me and having those connections to people around the world is really a unique fulfilling experience. I made friends from Hungary, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Japan, China, and all over the United Kingdom. London is a global city like no other. I also created lasting relationships with people who I just met such as the group of British grandmas who adopted me at Windsor Castle after they noticed me listening in on their gossip about the royal family, the volunteer at Keats house who invited me back for their community poetry night on Armistice Day, or the volunteer at Oxford Christ Church who spent the entire afternoon with, talking about her journey from New Zealand to England and how she fell in love with the church. These experiences and relationships really defined my time abroad and became my most precious memories.

I grew more confident as a person due to studying abroad. I had always been afraid to talk about myself, be vulnerable with others, or approach strangers. However, I was approached by strangers plenty of times abroad and they were the best conversations! After listening to others share their life stories, I began to want to share mine. My story was as unique to myself as other people's stories were and I came to realize this after my interactions with people from so many diverse and varied countries. Listening to their own versions of the world helped me to embrace mine and find my own personal strength.

Embrace spontaneity! Tourist destinations can sometimes be overrated, but others can live up to the hype. Despite that, it was always the places I didn't know of until I lived in London that I really fell in love with. Small places like Keats House in Hampstead Heath felt more magical and lovely to me than any palace in London. Find the places you love and don't feel bad if you can't check off all the things on your bucket list, that's just more to do the next time you visit!