London is teeming with opportunity. I loved and miss every day in that city, but I am happy to be home with my friends and family. It is easy for me to fixate on traveling to new places and learning about different cultures and peoples, but I have realized that no place on earth is full without a community of people around me. I was never homesick during my time abroad, but became aware of the lack of close companionship. Nevertheless, living in one of our world?s most important cities has been an experience that has changed me and I will fondly remember. I hope to live there again.
I believe growth occurs when we are uncomfortable. How do I act in this situation? How can I make the most of this experience? Each challenge better equips me for the next. Living around such diverse culture was novel for me, and the experience I gained from those encounters is priceless. However, one cannot live in a constant state of novelty. Time to reflect and regroup is necessary to learn. I don?t prefer downtime, but a few days at home have served that purpose for me. Here are a few lessons I learned this summer:
Anyone can laugh with or love on a friend, but it takes a lot more effort to do the same with someone who doesn?t think the same way or believe the same things. It is easy for me to think ?I?m not going to spend time with these people or worry about missing out because these aren?t my friends for the long run?. But they are people in front of me. They have a set of experiences unique to them and foreign to me. I have something to learn and something to give. If I?m secluded and exclusive, I am stagnant and unfruitful. Relationships breed experiences. Experiences make life fun, interesting, and innovative. This trip has taught me why and how I should invest in people who are fundamentally different from me. This summer I read Dale Carnegie?s ?How to Win Friends and Influence People?. Here are a few of his principles that I found particularly relevant:
- Be humble. Always ask questions- anyone can talk about his or herself
- Never complain, affirm the things you genuinely think are interesting or good
- Don?t have expectations of behavior or try to manipulate what they think about you. Don?t boast or try to create an image about yourself. Simply let conversation flow naturally and you don?t have to respond or continue to things you don?t agree with, simply change the subject or say nothing. The important thing is respect their difference as different- not inferior.
I have learned that my friendships don?t have to be limited to my interests or beliefs. ?I don?t like that man-I should get to know him better?. ?Abe Lincoln
I think the greatest thing I gained from my time in London is a broadened ability to think creatively and complexly. Learning from diverse perspectives and people has changed the way I approach solutions and developed an open and adoptive attitude. Most people make decisions based on their own worldview and set of experiences. When those experiences are broadened, I consider more options before coming to a decision. The more I learn, the better I am able to consider new possibilities.
What I miss about London:
1)??? Importance of preserving history: Old monuments and buildings serve as reminders. They have a humbling element. I can?t help but think about how many other people have climbed the same staircase or touched a wall that a Roman soldier sweated over while placing each stone. Buildings being constantly torn down and rebuilt has its cons, one being a detachment of history from reality. Growing up where buildings were no older than I am, it is easy to forget about the people who came before me and the lessons they left for us.
2)??? Stimulating environment/Learning and experiencing daily
3)??? Parks
4)??? Diversity
5)??? Accents (Call me an Anglophile ? they don?t get old. By all means, please keep talking)
6)??? Markets
Following are a few photos from my trip. I also visited Scotland and Spain.
Cheers(I?ve convinced myself that I have earned the right to say this casually. Humor me ;),
Courtney
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