Mandy: When the Going Gets Tough

Greetings from across the pond!

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