To those of you who are curious about what I have to say,
You never know what you have until it is gone…
I say this because I am realizing how much I will miss the sun during the next four months here in Coventry, England. As of today, I am officially a month into my travels and have seen the sights of London, Paris, the Peak District, the Lake District, and Nice, France. However, fun and games are all over, because now I have been plopped onto this sun-forsaken island to study abroad.
As a typical Southern California girl, I find myself walking in sandals through the puddles of this English city—obviously acclimating poorly to the weather. It is here where I join the herds of British folk hustling from one point to the next with their heads down and umbrellas up. It all looks sad and dreary, but all are helpless because the rain gods keep pissing on these poor folks.
And now, I am one of them!!! Equipped with my new red raincoat and a cheap umbrella from Primark, I must do my best and soldier on like everybody else.
So in order for me to keep my sanity (and my sun-kissed tan), I vow to do the following during the next 100 days that I will be calling England my home:
1.) Go Out: I did not come all this way just to spend the entire time in my room due to bad weather or the fear of the unknown. Sure, any given day in a foreign country may feel like an assault from all of the elements, but there is always a rainbow after every storm. Learning to adapt to challenges is half of the fun.
2.) Take Every Opportunity to Travel: Granted, my main purpose here is to study, but then again I am in Europe and must take advantage of that fact. Given my recent struggles with the weather, however, I predict I will only be travelling to places where sun is forecasted.
3.) Bring an Umbrella: After all, this isn’t Southern California. Rain should always be expected…
As a sun chaser crying in the rain, I do not have all the answers, just my personal experiences to share with you. That said, I invite you to try things unknown, be someone different, and embrace the old and the new. Until next time…
Yours Truly,
Lauren
