Tag: London

Its okay to relax at home

Published on by miadervisevicLeave a comment

While I’ve done A LOT in these past few weeks/months, I also feel like I haven’t done anything. It’s a weird in between where I feel like I always have to always be doing something, and where I have to remind myself it’s okay to relax. I see people going on trips every weekend, and it makes me wonder if I’m doing everything I can.

I occasionally get this feeling, that I feel like I have to be doing something, traveling somewhere, or seeing something. After class, before class, on my off days, and weekends. I have to remind myself that part of enjoying studying abroad, and life, is taking time for yourself and relaxing, even if that’s in bed, at home, watching a movie. I have to remind myself it’s okay to not always be walking around the city. While that’s definitely important, and exciting, you don’t have to do it every day. After a while, I’ve seen and done so much in London, I don’t know what to do on my off days. Today is one of those days.

Today, I woke up late and started my day slow. I had to remind myself that it’s okay, to not have a plan, and to not always go out into the city. I decided to retake some notes and remind myself what I have to do for my finals. I still feel a void, where a voice in the back of my mind is saying to do something, even though I don’t know what to do. “You’re in London and studying abroad! go out and do something” it says. But I am doing something here at home. I’m talking with my roommates, making food, doing schoolwork, and relaxing, which are all very important to life and studying abroad as well.

I feel a common consensus is, if you’re not going out and traveling all the time, you’re not taking advantage of this opportunity. But that’s wrong. You can enjoy your time abroad, relaxing and enjoying you time, just as much as you can enjoy time abroad, traveling. It’s okay to stay home once in a while, and not worry about what you’re going to fill your day with.

I sometimes forget just how much stuff I’ve done. I feel as though I haven’t done enough, but then I reflect and rethink what I’ve done, and it’s a lot! I’ve seen all the great tourist attractions like Buckingham palace, Big Ben, and the Tower of London. I’ve traveled to the countryside and enjoyed a quiet day. I’ve spent time at parks, museums, and cafes, as well as hung out with friends. I’ve even traveled to Scotland and France! I have to remind myself that I’ve done so much, even if it doesn’t feel like it, or there’s still so much to do. While I still have a bucket list of things I want to visit to complete, it’s okay to take this day for myself.

So, I’m here to remind you, that it’s okay to take a relaxing day at home, cozying up in bed, watching a good movie. It’s okay to not have plans and focus on schoolwork. While it’s amazing to go out and enjoy whichever city you’re abroad in, there’s a healthy balance of the two. Today, I will focus on my schoolwork, and myself, and remind myself that I have great plans tomorrow and the rest of the week, that a slow day like today is needed.

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Fleeting Connections

Published on by gwenmorgan323Leave a comment

Three weeks ago my phone died in the middle of Soho, London.

It was one of the best things to have ever happened to me.

I had gone off on my own to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum on South Kensington Street. I was on the trip with a couple other girls, but I felt I was making insufficient use of my three days in “The Big Smoke”. So, after being shown around by one of my sorority sisters, I decided to head off by myself. I had a map; I had my phone, and I had my spare battery. I knew exactly where I was thanks to my friend (who had my location) and knew exactly where I needed to go at 6:30 to have dinner with the rest of our group.

Except my phone was at 40%…and my battery pack was dead.

This I did not know until I reached the museum, which I did entirely by physical map because I wanted the opportunity to navigate without Google Maps and take a break from my phone (ironic). I then decided to turn off my phone, save my remaining battery, and go through the museum without taking any photos; a sort of “mini challenge” for myself as someone who loves to whip out their phone and snap a picture of a painting. For those who don’t know, the Victoria & Albert Museum is the world’s largest of applied arts, founded in 1852. Truly, one of the best museums I have ever set foot in and is filled to the brim with not only ancient architecture from every part of the world but people too.

The first person I met was a lady named Jan. Jan was at the museum with her son and husband. They had popped into town for some Korean barbecue and decided to check out the museum afterward. Jan and I had a lovely conversation about the green dye used for shoes in the Japanese exhibit. I told her about my studies here in Bilbao, and she told me about how she’d lived in London all her life and that her son was also interested in an exchange program. I encouraged it. I bid her adieu and went along my merry way.

The second was a boy my age named Spencer. I found him studying and touching one of the vases in the exhibit (don’t worry it was fake). Spencer is currently studying abroad in Italy and is super into pottery and ceramics. He came to the museum mainly to see the “moon vase”, a giant white pot on which he was basing one of his own pieces off of. He showed me why he was touching the vase, and how he was trying to memorize the different dips and curves. It’s such a beautiful thing, getting to see what other human beings are passionate about, what makes life worth living for each delicate soul on this planet.

The third was a girl named Disha, who I met in the Roman sculpture gallery of the museum. Disha was trying to get the perfect picture, setting up her phone against and table and running back to try to get the perfect shot. I offered to help her, and we ended up having at least a 30-minute discussion about our lives and a mini photoshoot in the gallery. Disha is from Canada, works for a travel agency, and is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. We exchanged Instagrams, I gave her some suggestions on spots to hit during her time in London and raced down the steps of the museum to get on the metro…which I then found out was closed, so I headed to the bus station.

At this point, my phone had gone down, down, down in battery, and my anxiety had only gone up, and up, and up, so with only 15% left I began to study the bus map, hoping to find out where I needed to go the old-fashioned way and preserve battery. Luckily, I was helped by a lovely woman named Bushra, another local Londoner who was coming back from teaching music composition. She showed me where I needed to go, and which line to get on as she peppered me with questions about the U.S. and I demanded she tell me where I could find the best scone before I hopped on the double-decker bus and made my way to the restaurant in Soho, London.

Side note: Soho was easily my favorite part of London. It’s like New York, full of color and bars and billboards. I definitely intend to return and explore it more in-depth!

Upon my arrival at the restaurant, I had about 5% of my battery left, feeling not too worried since I had made it to the location, and my friend would be arriving soon with my spare portable charger.

Apparently, I was at the wrong restaurant, and my phone died minutes after realizing this information.

Luckily, there was a lovely trio of people standing outside who willingly lent me a charger, and I went back inside to charge my phone behind the bar, where I met the sweetest bartender, Antonio.

Antonio told me about how he had lived in London all his life and had always wanted to come to the U.S. He also asked me if it’s true we wear pajamas all the time…to which I laughed and said unfortunately yes. We bonded over various topics while we waited for my phone to charge. We laughed about how different our countries were as he made me one of the best martinis I have ever had (I’ve never had one), and we exchanged Instagrams for Antonio’s inevitable journey to the wonderful state of Colorado. Once my phone was sufficiently charged, I paid for my drink (discounted- thank you Antonio), said our goodbyes, and returned the charger before ordering an Uber to the proper restaurant where my friends were waiting.

There is something so beautiful about those fleeting connections made with a stranger. I’ll probably never see any of these characters again, but I will always remember them. I was unbelievably anxious about my phone situation, and each of those little connections just made the whole situation ten times better.

But do consider this a cautionary tale. As someone who is constantly overprepared and hyperaware, this was certainly…not my finest moment, and while I don’t recommend letting your phone die in the middle of a big city you’ve never been to before, definitely make some fleeting connections.