As I sat at my desk, in a little village in North-West London suburbia, I dreamt of the promise land. THE USA! Five months of hot weather, accents and southern hospitality was coming my way and I couldn’t have been more excited. I romanticized constantly by listening to Lana Del Rey, eating at the new local Five Guys, and beginning to get ready to immerse myself into this completely new experience.
The truth is; however, I was terrified. I was going to be a foreigner in completely new surroundings, and not have the comfort of a hug with my mum when things got hard. Yet at the same time, I was so proud of myself and of everything I had achieved and I knew that I had to make the most of the once in a lifetime trip that I was lucky enough to experience.
So here I am, sat in my room in the International house, still listening to Lana Del Rey and experiencing all the things I could only dream of back in cynical, rainy, cold England… (I exaggerate, it’s lovely really). I have settled in surprisingly well, despite initially thinking that I’d spend my first week eating Twinkies alone, watching Netflix and quietly weeping in my room. In fact, it was the complete opposite. At the end of the day, everyone was in a similar boat, so we clung to each other for moral support and I have made some great friends already… phew! I also had the opportunity to meet not only fellow Britons, but also those from other countries and cultures, as well as the brilliant and friendly Americans.
Nevertheless, there are some extreme differences between starting university here compared to back in England. At Kent (the university I attend in England), we were greeted with an invite to the local pub with 2-for-1 drink offers, which no doubt ruin your liver and your life by the end of just first year (and a free pen, if you were lucky). In America? Chanting cheerleaders, t-shirts, free food and FIREWORKS! It was epic. In just three days of being in Columbia, I wanted to get my green card and move on over. Without being too cliché, I truly felt like I’d stepped into my own movie and I don’t want it to end. I want to keep shouting ‘COCKS’ at the top of my lungs and brandish an American flag on my wall, it’s like a pandemic of excitement.
I am so excited for the next 5 months and I hope I can share it with as many people as possible. I want to try everything traditionally American before I leave, but of course I have not forgotten to sometimes swap sweet iced tea with my hot English tea for those downtime moments!
