Guy Cheatham
London School of Economics
London, England
Spring 2017

April 2017: Reflection and Growth

I have had several moments of reflection in the past month, even if at times they are difficult to come by.
I was in Prague a few weeks back with a friend, sipping on good pilsner and looking out over the city (the Czechs know how to make excellent beer). We were talking about what we were going to do upon our return to the states, and at the time I was not thinking about this much, as I still had over two months in Europe before my departure back to the states. One month later, in the midst of exams at LSE, that reflection is starting to mean more, and I understand that it is necessary to make time for such, to think about my experience in London, how I have grown as a result of the environment here, and readapting back into American culture after being away for a year. I was grabbing a pint with a good friend on Fleet Street this past Thursday night at a pub called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a quintessential seventeenth century pub with aged wooden floors and ominous lighting. We both came back from a final event at one of the LSE societies we’re involved in, and considering how busy the exam period is, I realized that I may not see some of the people I have formed such good relationships with before I fly back to the U.S. in early June. That feeling began to hit both of us there; it made me realize that despite the intense environment at LSE and the gloomy weather, leaving London is going to be difficult.
London is a city in which you can love and have issues with simultaneously, but it grows on you, and it is a city with a competitive intellectual environment that forces you to grow up fast, if you want to succeed. It is a city with a stressful academic environment, especially when you face the pressures of getting a 2:1 on an exam, in which determines your final mark. Despite these pressures, it is important to keep a positive outlook and take advantage of what LSE and London offer, and the possibilities are endless. It is a place in which you can walk out your front door and do just about anything, and as my friend and I were discussing why leaving London is going to be difficult, we knew that it was because of the friendships formed. Having friends from all corners of the world is an absolute treat; I have been grateful of having the privilege of learning where people come from and how that affects the development of their views of the world. This is my favorite part about the endless possibilities this city has to offer, and it has certainly refined my outlook on the world. Leaving will be difficult, but I am looking forward to being back with friends and family back in the states.
I entertain the idea of coming back to London in the future, perhaps living here as well, as it has become a second home for me, but in the meantime I must focus on my revision, and I am excited about taking what I have learned here over the past year and apply that thinking to wherever my path takes me in the future.