I’m home from London and my study abroad experience is over. I originally thought it was bittersweet, because I missed my family and friends from home, but I’m starting to miss London more and more. I have no doubts in my mind that this was, hands down, the best experience of my life thus far. I made amazing friends, created memories that I’ll always cherish, exposed myself to new things and new people everyday, learned about other cultures, stepped outside my comfort zone, and began to understand the way the world works more than I ever had before. It’s so bizarre waking up in my own house in a small town in New Jersey, when I’ve been waking up in a busy city for the past four months. It’s absolutely insane how quickly time flew by, but I wouldn’t change a thing. To anyone still abroad or planning on studying abroad: make something of every moment you have. Know the city you’re in inside and out, stay out later, go out more than you usually do, explore new people and new things, travel — but don’t forget about the city you chose to study in. This experience has left me eager to return to Europe, and I have no doubt I will. There are lots of places I would’ve liked to travel to, but at the end of the day I chose to immerse myself in London as much as possible.

Location: Dumont, NJ