Random Ramblings...

(Note: This post is a mix of a couple ideas I’ve had since coming to London. It’s a little random, but I feel all important points. Consider it a little summary of a month long adventure so far.)

Either the British are not very creative, or they simply don’t feel the need to name things excessively. I mean this in the way that things have titles here. Instead of saying Queen Elizabeth, they simply say “The Queen.” As for the monument that was built in remembrance of the Great London Fire, has been named only “The Monument.” I’m not really complaining, seeing as by such accessible names, it’s very easy to know exactly what people are talking about. Yet at the same time, London is full of monuments, so to call one The Monument seems sort of silly.

I’ve been in London for a month now. The weather has warmed by about ten degrees (Fahrenheit), but stays dismal almost all the time. I’ve gotten to the point where I see the sun and I feel like I have to appreciate it, since I don’t know when it will come again.

I’ve come to like my flat mates very much, and appreciate their kindness. The British students are very nice to me, and love to chat about their own country, as well as learn about mine. The American students are easy going (as is the American way), but I have come to notice that I feel like I’m competing against them sometimes. We are all here to travel and explore this wonderful country, and I sometimes feel pressured if they do something I have not. Facebook has become a sort of enemy in this sense. Imagine that someone puts as their status: went to The Tower of London! and I have yet to go (this is not the case obviously, but bear with me and my example). I then feel disappointed partially because either I wish I had gone with them, or furtively try to think of a time when I may catch up with my explorations.

Ah, but at the same time, I must enjoy London at my own pace. Each of us has different desires and plans for the four months left, and I have to keep reminding myself to concentrate on my own wants. I will admit it’s quite freeing to not really have to worry about anyone but myself, yet at the same time it really makes me miss my friends from home and my family. I’m not sure I really like only thinking of myself. It’s odd and shallow, really. I mean, there’s so many people in the world, to only have to care about one seems terribly insignificant to me.

I’ve also decided that five months is definitely a long time to be across the pond, and honestly, I think I would have a hard time studying abroad for a longer amount of time. Similar to when I was in Ireland, I feel like the States are calling me back, and that’s truly my home. As much as I may complain about America and its twisted ways, I’m still proud to be American and want to stand for my country. I don’t want to abandon how I have been raised, nor will I try to pretend to be something I’m not. I am an American, and boo to the yeah I’m going to stay that way!