Kathryn Walters (Kathryn Walters | THE BEACON)
By Kathryn Walters, Staff Commentary
Lately, people at UP seem to be in a confessing mood. Although it's completely anonymous, and I have a feeling some of these "confessions" are nothing more than outrageous stories cooked up by some imaginative Pilots to amuse themselves and others, the idea of coming clean about less than admirable things you've done, who you have a crush on at the moment or what's been eating at you lately is a powerful one. I mean, we attend a school affiliated with an institution which advocates that confession is good for the mind and soul.
Who knows how long this confession trend is going to last, but I'll capitalize on this fad for what it's worth. I have a confession to make: I am struggling.
I'm not struggling to survive or anything exceptionally serious, but I am trying very hard to transition back to normal UP life. Last semester, I studied abroad in London and had by far the most phenomenal, crazy, life-changing experience of my life. As an avid Anglophile, London was my heaven on earth. Every day, even just a normal school day, was an adventure.
From taking the Tube everywhere, to watching some of the best theatre in the world and seeing some of the most famous landmarks ever, to meeting the most amazing people and experiencing a whole different way of life, studying abroad in London was by far one of the best decisions I ever made. My perspectives on the world, other people and even myself have entirely changed, and I would definitely say for the better.
However, as happy as I am to have had the opportunity to experience the best three and a half months of my life in such a fantastic place, it's a major struggle to return to normal life at UP. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy to see my friends again, and I did miss UP during the past seven months, but I can't help wishing myself back in lovely London, where my biggest problem was Tube line closures on the weekends.
Hashtag: first world problems. Hashtag: study abroad problems. I'm aware how entitled and "poor little privileged girl" this sounds, but I think it's important to come clean about this, especially for the many UP students who will be studying abroad this summer and the coming fall and spring semesters next year.
I completely advocate studying abroad to anyone who can afford it and has time for it, but I wish I had known about the huge letdown that comes after returning to "reality." I wish I had known about the disconnect I felt from my family and friends back at home and UP while I was there (who knew a time difference of eight hours could be so significant?). I wish I had known how many hours I would spend reminiscing about that one time I met the guy who plays Neville Longbottom in the "Harry Potter" movies or that one time my friends and I took a ride on a carousel bar in Hyde Park.
Of course, not everyone who has studied abroad had as awesome a time as I did, but personally, it's a daily struggle of mine to put myself back in the normal UP mindset. I'm sure it will get better with time, when the memories of London are less fresh, but for now, I long for my London town. So, for all you future study abroad kids, I say: go forth and conquer, but just know that the transition back to ordinary life is a hard road to travel.
Kathryn Walters is a junior sociology major. She can be reached at walters14@up.edu.
