Lessons Learned

So about a week before I left for England, my cousin Katrina asked me about what I was looking forward to most about studying abroad. And I could have said having afternoon tea and exploring the English countryside, reading Shakespeare and then attending the Globe theater, punting on the river Cam and many other things that seem like great reasons to study abroad at Cambridge. But the first thing I said was, “I can’t wait to escape.” I was slightly ashamed that this was the first thing that came into my mind, but it was honest and true. A lot of things have been building over the past few months and I wanted and really needed a physical removal from it.

Cambridge is better than I could imagine, in every way possible. And that’s rare. Usually my imagination is so vivid that real life hardly ever lives up to my expectations. And although the grass is really greener on the other side (seriously at Cambridge only very important people are allowed to walk on the grass and it is perfectly manicured) the thing I have learned is that although sometimes we really need to escape, we can’t expect it to be the ultimate solution. When you go to a place thinking you have left all your problems at home new problems arise. My first week I dealt with bees flying into my room via my fireplace, buying the wrong adaptor, not being able to send email, accidentally drinking laundry detergent, not having all the right books for my classes, meeting people with clashing personalities and so and so on. And despite all the little mishaps- this experience is still truly unforgettable. And so now I am trying on a difficult new project. I am going to try not to dream of the future and how great it will be. Because let’s face it-the future will be full of troubles too, no matter where in the world you are or who you are with. Again, I want to reiterate that Cambridge is amazing! I am going to enjoy the glorious high points and also all my wondrous little misadventures, because in life we can’t pick and choose, we get the good and the bad. And what I have learned is that it is far better to enjoy the reality of the present than to constantly dream of a perfect tomorrow.