Another London Update

By:

Heidi Yun

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Majors

Regions

Heidi Yun

<i>Home Institution</i>: Boston College <i>Expected Graduation Year</i>: 2024 <i>Academic Major / Minor</i>: Sociology / Women's and Gender Studies <i>Destination</i>: London, UK <i>"Hello" in your host country's language</i>: Hello <i>Program Provider</i>: University College London <i>Demographics</i>: Asian/Asian American <i>Future Career Goals</i>: My future career goals include attending law school and becoming a practicing attorney in Massachusetts. <i>Top Three Study Abroad Goals</i>: Develop a more comprehensive account of the legal system in European countries; Challenge myself and develop a greater sense of independency; Develop a better understanding of global issues.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my second journal post in London! It’s now been over a month since I’ve been in London. What I’ve noticed about being abroad in London is that there is always something to do, as well as the pressure to make the most of my time here because it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In the beginning, I found myself making sure that I was doing something predominantly every day of the weekend because I falsely correlated a jam-packed schedule with happiness. Slowly but surely, I found myself giving myself more grace to be okay with taking things at my own pace and prioritizing time to myself as well.

Because my workload during my time studying abroad is lighter than mine back in the States, I think I found myself utilizing constantly sightseeing and doing activities around London as my measure of productivity. However, because academics have always been my top priority, I made the executive decision to spend my reading week (which is a week of no school to catch up on our work) relaxing in London and proactively working on the two essays I have due the following week! It definitely was a difficult decision to miss out on a week’s worth of free time that could have been used for traveling but I am proud of myself for prioritizing my school work at a time when it may be hard to put it first. Making the decision to stay in London during this week has definitely helped balance my academic and personal needs as I am feeling super rejuvenated and at peace that my work has been finished without feeling any pressure with time.

In London, during my reading week, I took trips to Notting Hill and Borough Market. In Notting Hill, my friend and I ate at Gold, a modern European restaurant that lived up to all the hype. I spent the day exploring the independent vendors, walking into vintage stores, and getting in a lot of steps! I was really happy to have bargained for a scarf that was originally twenty-five pounds to twenty! And at Borough Market, I had the most delicious sandwich from The Black Pig and fresh chocolate-covered strawberries from another vendor. I have attached pictures of some colorful houses in Notting Hill and a picture of Regent Street I took at night during this past week. I am looking forward to checking in again as I travel to Stockholm and Barcelona soon!