As I already said, I’m from a small town in Holland so studying abroad was quite a big step for me. Especially since I went to such a big city like London. It took me some time to get used to everything: the public transport, the people, the crowded places and the different language. However, the minute I arrived I knew that London would suit me perfectly.
Nonetheless, it was a bit hard to let go of the life I had back in The Netherlands and I used to go back very often to see my friends and family. Especially the first 2 months (since London isn’t that far from The Netherlands and flights aren’t really expensive). I lived with 3 roommates that I had so much fun with. It was their first time living on their own as well so this helped us all in the process of getting used to this new environment. I used to be really afraid that I wouldn’t make any friends or meet new people easily (since I am not very social) but since London is such a big and multicultural city, I was able to surround myself with lovely people really easily.
I’m at the end of my second year now and I’ve met so many new people that I feel like I’ve created a whole new life here in London. A life that I’m very happy with. This is also the thing that I love the most about studying abroad. You can literally create a whole new chapter in your life and you’re free from all expectations that others (used to) have of you. You kind of live the best of both worlds.