London is a great starter city. Before I left for London, when people asked where I wanted to move after college I would say that I definitely didn't want to be in a city. I didn't think I could handle it. Growing up on a farm means having a lot of space and knowing almost every person you see. My town at home doesn't have streetlights or sidewalks.
Cities are crowded and nosy and dirty and you need to use a map or public transport and it is confusing. Syracuse is a city, yes, but being a student at Syracuse University does not mean living in a city. At school, everything is made simple for you. A school bus brings you to class if you live too far away from campus. Everyone is going to the same places and SU cops can always give you a lift. There's no need to navigate or find your way around.
Being a student at SU London means living in a city. It means looking at a map and finding your way around. These are things I didn't think I could handle, but coming to London has been easier than going to NYC. In New York, I am a foreigner to the city, but no one knows that. I'm uncomfortable with the subway and the street signs and the traffic, but my discomfort is unexpected by others. In London, no one expects me to already know the tube or the streets, so I have the chance to learn these things- free of judgement- and challenge myself to find my own way around.
I've been here for a week and a day. In NYC, Boston, or even Syracuse, I would never have the confidence to go from one part of the city to the other alone once it's dark; but last night I took the tube home after a meeting around 8:30, and I was completely fine. I knew when I decided to come here that this semester would mean trying new things, but I never expected to learn so much from the little stuff. Being here now, I realize that for me- a small town, country girl- just making my own way around a city is a new, important, valuable lesson.
