Last Updated on June 21, 2019 by Emily Fletcher
Dear London,
There aren’t enough words in the world to express how much I love this place. From Big Ben and the Parliament to Camden Market and the Tube, I love it all. You’ve taken me and made me a whole new person. I’ve learned so much about what I can do, about what I want to do and about myself.
For all the experiences, memories, friendships, laughs, and so much more, thank you. You have given me the experience of a lifetime and been my home away from home for six weeks. I never truly felt homesick, because I felt so at place here.
Thank you for opening my eyes to a whole different world. Thank you for making me more independent, for allowing me to realize I can do more than I think I can. Thank you for letting me experience different foods that I never would’ve had back home. I’ve found new loves in all different cultures.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of London’s history. Whether that is the Queen’s 90th birthday or the Brexit vote, I’m so excited and grateful to have been here for it all.
Thank you for allowing European travel to be right at my fingertips. Because of this, I was able to see a different part of the UK and jet across the sea to Paris. You’ve made everything so easily accessible.
Thank you for all the friends I have gained. London would have been a whole different experience without them. They made everything ten times more fun than it could have been, and I couldn’t have been happier to find them here. There are not a lot of people who I can say I’ve seen the world with and had so many new experiences with, but I’m glad I got to do it with these people. They, too, have changed me for the better.
London, thank you for everything. I will always remember all the fond memories and experiences I had here, and I will look back and smile. This was honestly the best experience of my life. I’m so grateful for every road that led me here and for all the people that made it possible for me.
I’ll never forget this place. I’ll never forget how the sun could shine one moment and it would be pouring rain the next. I’ll never forget how in the middle of summer I could have goose bumps all over my body. I’ll never forget how beautiful the skyline looked at night. I’ll never forget the rush of wind through my hair as the Tube made it’s way towards me. I’ll never forget the people that made me smile, laugh, and go wild. I’ll never forget any of this. London will always be a part of me.
Until next time, goodbye dear London.
Much love,
A London Girl at Heart
This post was contributed by Emily Fletcher, who studied abroad with AIFS in London, England in summer 2016.
