This week has been a true
whirlwind. GW has a “GW England” program for GW kids studying abroad at certain
British universities. Some of the events (on GW’s tab, I might add) were:
-
A
welcome dinner last weekend
-
Breakfast
at “Café in the Crypt” in Trafalgar Square
-
Private
walking tour
-
Tickets
to the London Eye (we went at night – stunning is the only word to describe)
-
Tickets
to Macbeth at The Globe
So thanks GW! ;) It was a bit bizarre to be hanging out with
all GW kids though…there were lots of the “oh do you know so and so?” and DC
talk…kinda weird to be talking about GW classes in the middle of London.
This past week seems to have
been a week of museums as well. I visited the British Museum for my Museums of
London class, the Natural History Museum (which was really amazing), and the
Museum of London (which chronicles the history of the city from Roman times to
the 2012 Olympics). I also went to the Sunday night service at Westminster
Abbey. Although the church is beautiful, it was a little strange to be
worshipping among so many graves and memorials…
To be honest though, this
week has been tough in a lot of ways too. I’m not homesick, but have been
extremely people-sick. This week has been confusing for me – I’m in a dream
come true, an adventure I’ve looked forward to my entire life, and I love this city, but I still feel a
little lost. Other kids who have studied abroad told me that you gain a new
kind of independence abroad, a kind of independence that alternates from
feeling like to loneliness to feeling like freedom.
So I went to Kensington
Gardens to walk around and sort myself out. I sat at the Italian Garden and
literally saw the last gorgeous, crisp, fall day disappear. It has
been freezing and raining ever since. I walked by the Princess Diana memorial
and the Peter Pan statue. At the gardens, I gained clarity of mind. This time
in my life is a time of adventure, yes, but it’s also a time to pray. A time to
figure out what this whole “grown up” thing sort of means. A time to feel a
little lost, but as Alex reminded me: Peter Pan’s biggest adventure started
because he lost his shadow. Sometimes you need to feel a little lost to lead
you to the next adventure.
I almost didn’t share all of
this on the blog, but then realized that I would rather be honest that some
days are tough, then pretend that everything is perfect all the time. It’s all
a learning experience, and I am so thankful that I have loving people at home
to miss and also support me as I’m so far away.
Song of the Week: A Little Faith to Fall Back On
This is a beautiful post, Mandy. <3 I'm proud of you.
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