Three months ago when I hopped on the plane to Heathrow from Canada, I really didn’t know what to expect. In the weeks before and post-arrival, I genuinely believe I experienced nearly every possible human emotion in existence. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but the point still stands. It was madness.

You see, until coming to London, I’d never truly left home. Sure, I had moved out of my parents’ house and done my undergrad, but I was still a relative hop, skip, and a jump away.  So, moving 5000km away was a big deal. Three months later, to say I regret my decision would be a complete lie.

And?

And that’s where we get to the reason behind me writing this – because coming to LSE truly is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Beyond the academics (which are great), the experience of living in London is something I struggle to put into words, but I’m still going to try.

In the first week of my undergrad years ago, there was a quote from one of my professors that’s stuck with me since, “become comfortable being uncomfortable”. Before coming to London, I was far too comfortable. I felt like I was stuck in a cycle of stagnation where there was little separating the days and weeks. So, naturally, I moved across the world. Let’s just say my itch was scratched.

By and far the most influential thing of my time here has been the people – I’ve made friends from countries I could never have imagined. In my close group alone there are people from Finland, Croatia, South Korea, Norway, Denmark, India, England, America, Canada, Austria, Italy, Germany, and more – it’s pretty neat. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say I’ve experienced more culture in these few months than the rest of my life combined.

And then there’s the city itself… wow. I could write thousands of words on this alone. The fact that I’m living about 200 metres from Tower Bridge and walk by countless world-renowned landmarks every day on the way to campus still seems utterly surreal. I don’t want to fall into the trap of clichés, but I really do need to pinch myself sometimes.

Simply put, the growth opportunities are endless. When I showed up in September, I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I felt like a scared little kid. For those first few weeks, nearly everything I did beyond brushing my teeth and look at me now, I only need to use Google Maps sometimes. That sounds like the epitome of personal growth to me.

So?

Seriously though, looking back on myself three months ago, it’s difficult to comprehend all that’s happened in such a short time. It feels like it was a lifetime ago that I arrived but also like it was yesterday. Has everything been perfect? Of course not. I’ve had my days where I felt anxious and overwhelmed, but I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything.

I truly feel I’ve grown more in these few months than any other period in my life. Even without the academic value LSE provides (which isn’t half bad I must say), the experience has been life-changing. I’m trying not to be dramatic, but it’s hard. I could not speak highly enough about my time here thus far.

If there’s any piece of advice I could give, it’s to simply take the first step. It may be daunting, it may be terrifying, but that’s part of what makes it so exciting. For me, the countless hours of stress have been more than worth it.