Taking Advantage of All CEA CAPA Has to Offer to Find Comfort While Studying Abroad
The Tour I Almost Skipped
Coming to London without a family member to move me in, a classmate from home, or a friend in the same time zone was extremely daunting. I feared being alone and not making the picture-perfect friendships seen on Instagram from people claiming, “studying abroad was the best decision I ever made!” It did not take long though, for this claim to start feeling true and funnily enough, this feeling began on a walking and bus tour I did not want to attend.
The day after orientation, I was jetlagged and exhausted. I texted my mom telling her that CEA CAPA was offering a walking tour of the neighborhood along with a bus tour of some tourist sites. I vividly recall typing the texts that I was tired and not in the mood to meet new people; after some convincing, I listened as she told me to give it a shot. I could not be more grateful for this decision.
One of the first stops on our neighborhood tour. Little Venice’s canals quickly became a highlight to see, especially with how close they were to my new home!
The tour started outside of my apartment building, full of new faces I had never seen though we had been living in the same place for three days. Our tour guide led us throughout the neighborhood, showing us the best way to get to the nearest tube station, sharing the history of Little Venice, and guiding our way to Paddington station, where we grabbed a quick bite to eat. I began the tour by myself, focusing on the history and figuring out my way around, paying no attention to the girls who would later sit beside me in class and run to Boots with me when I realized I needed a hairdryer.
A look into Paddington station’s adorable gift shop window; a pivotal pit stop before lunch.
Unlocking a New Confidence
Upon approaching Paddington station, I had started talking with two fellow students. Even though this was something extremely out of my comfort zone, something about the environment gave me the confidence to talk to new people, uncovering an entirely new side of my personality. Together, we found lunch and they sat with me as I drank my coffee and ate, just as my friends back at home would do. We talked in a way that felt as though we had grown up or gone to school together, nothing like we had just met an hour prior.
On the bus tour, we took pictures and spent the rest of the day together; their kindness was unspoken yet clear as they swapped seats every time we got back on the bus so none of us had to sit alone for too long. We shared phone numbers and pictures with one another, ending the bus tour with me scoring an invite out that night with their roommates and other people they had met during orientation. I invited my roommates and we formed a huge group, pushing tables together to fit us all while we talked and played trivia until the pub closed. We even stayed outside talking with locals for another hour after the pub shut their doors and dimmed the lights.
After the walking tour, Buckingham Palace was one of the first stops on the bus tour.
The First of Many Thank Yous to CEA CAPA
These connections are ones that do not last for just a day; through CEA CAPA you are just as eager to meet new people as they are you. I now grab coffee with these girls before class, sit next to them, and we enjoy movie nights with one another in our apartments. Knowing that there are people across the hall and upstairs that I can rely on is something extremely special to me. Back at school, I live in my sorority house, and it’s a house full of conversations and laughter, only settling down when our eyes start to physically close. I never thought that an ocean away, I would find this resemblance. Whether it is watching Bridgerton with my roommates at home after dinner until it is time for bed, running to Sainsbury’s after school to pick up groceries with my friends, or enjoying a full-day bus tour to Bath and Stonehenge through CEA CAPA, there has not been a moment since moving to London where I found myself feeling alone.
With some extra time to walk around, our tour guide took us up the elevator to see St Paul's Cathedral from a new perspective. The view was beautiful and you could see the London Eye from up there!
Tower Bridge was the final stop on this unforgettable bus tour.
It did not take long for me to learn the lesson to show up, even when you don’t feel like it. From the experiences provided, I have felt immense comfort in my decision to come to London through this program. Without the neighborhood and bus tour, I would have missed the memories I am fortunate enough to look back on from the start of my study abroad experience. I never would have met these friends or found a new home so far away from my small town in New Jersey. My experience within the first two weeks of being here would not have been the same without the never-ending support of CEA CAPA and the community of students it brings.
