When thinking of all of the places around the world that I would want to live, I’ll admit that London was not one to immediately pop into my mind. While its history was one that I delved into through books and documentaries, I never gave much thought to one day living there, even if just temporarily. However, in late 2016 that all changed and it ended up being one of my best decisions.
After grad school, I spent several months trying to figure out what I wanted to do next. Time to enter the real world and start my career? Do I want to continue my education and go back to university? What should I do!? These questions whirled around my mind constantly and I went back and forth trying to decide what my next step should be. I would sit and google graduate degrees that spoke to my interests and would apply for jobs day in, day out. Throughout this process, I landed on the Cultural Heritage Studies Masters Program at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. I did my bit of research and thought this could be it, this could be my next step! So I sent off my application and just let it play out. At the time, I don’t think I truly realized what it would mean once I was accepted: I would be moving across the Atlantic to a country I had never been to, with no one I knew living nearby.
Once I received my acceptance letter, the anxiety and fear set in. Where was I going to live? Would I make friends? What will the program be like? What is it like living in a big city? What if I don’t like it? These questions continued to dominate my thoughts up until it was time for me to get on the plane in September 2016. But I had to just remind myself that I couldn’t let fear keep me from taking advantage of this opportunity and to make the most of it. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and see where it took me.
As I look back now, I have no regrets for taking this step and spending a year and a half in this historic city. The time spent there resulted in plenty of personal growth, adventures throughout the UK and Europe, new friendships that will last a lifetime, and a city that I will forever feel connected to. If you’ve ever thought about moving abroad but haven’t made the move yet, I say go for it! Take the first step and see what adventures find you.
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