Riding the Curve

On the day after my arrival in London, we had an orientation during which an advisor pulled up an image of the “Study Abroad Emotional Curve.” It’s a model that I’m sure many-a-study abroad student has encountered– one that starts at a high, only to dip down to a lull of depression and homesickness, but then rise up again to familiarity. As I sat there taking it in, it dawned upon me that I had realized the entire path of this curve in just the first day of arriving in London. On the bus ride to the University, I didn’t have any worries. I was talking to people who could speak my language. And not only could I understand the English folk I had just met, but they were willing to joke about the differences between America and the UK, like our high school cheerleaders and pep rallies or their fries being chips (being crisps). At that point, it seemed like this would only be a slight adjustment for me, and only to largely silly or inconsequential things.

Further into the day, I realized there were in fact bigger hurdles to jump over. When I went to buy groceries, the cashier would not let me purchase my food because I didn’t have a signature on my card. When I finally got things sorted out, I got off on the wrong bus stop and had to walk twenty minutes with a week’s supply of food. So sure, there was a noticeable culture shock, but nothing to completely throw me off. It’s only when I arrived at my dorm that it set in– the depression phase. I hadn’t felt homesickness since my first week of boarding school as a high school freshman, so this completely threw me for a loop. I hadn’t gotten anyone’s number that I met that day. I had to come to grips with the fact that it doesn’t matter how big the city is or how many people you are surrounded by. You can be lonely anywhere.

I was about to take an early night that night, until my flat rep (that’s what they call RAs here) comes knocking on my door and invites me to come meet everyone else in the flat. From this small act of kindness, things started looking up. They only got better when I found a permanent group of about 6 other people who were willing to travel. This was a relief as I had been stressing about traveling alone. Since then, we have done several of day trips, visiting many hotspots, such as the London Tower and the Buckingham Palace. It is amazing that even flats on the side of the street have more architectural flair than most buildings in America. My personal favorite stop so far has been the British Museum, which has so many exhibits that it could be toured in several days. Not to mention it’s free! It was surreal to see ancient artifacts, such as the Rosetta Stone or the Shalmaneser’s Black Obelisk standing so casually in front of me. Pictured above is our trip to central London. From left to right, they are Truvail (from Chicago), Rajnah (from Sydney, Austrailia), Ehsan (from Fars, Iran), me, Anthony (from Sydney, Australia), Lunden (from Georgia, despite her namesake), and Hattie (from Michigan). It is refreshing to be traveling with people from various backgrounds, but also comforting to to be with fellow Americans who can relate to my experience.

I know that the rest of my trip won’t be complete smooth sailing from here on out. I have already faced a share of road bumps (that’s a mixed metaphor, I know). But I have made connections with people solid enough that I can share my faith comfortably. This is a real blessing, and in my estimation, a sign of a positive trajectory moving forward.

Blessings, Joe