Adulting? A Reflection

Hi,

Term two is now over, and a lot has transpired in the past three months. From speed bumps to celebrations, Royal Holloway has become the center of lifelong memories. I recently turned 20 which was a truly unique experience in and of itself. Leaving my teens was jarring enough, but I cannot remember ever being away from my family for this sacred day, and as I entered the second decade of my life- I did so on an entirely different continent. Of course, I was surrounded by the community of friends I’ve created here, but not being able to share my birthday with my family made for a very different celebration. I always aim to reflect on what I’ve learned from the past year when my birthday rolls around. This year, that reflection felt revitalized. Everyone talks about “adulting” and learning to live as adults. However, I’ve realized that adulting is about more than buying toilet paper and filing taxes. It is about a change in mindset.

Study abroad is awestriking, hectic, and lovely at times. But in other moments it can feel overwhelming, lulled, and confusing. This is true of any experience and while exchange is often painted as a cake walk of pretty pictures and new faces, it comes with many barriers that you must choose to overcome. You can either revel in the lulled moments and wish you were back home, or you can embrace these moments of difficulty as tools. These tools will be in your back pocket and available for you to utilize as you approach the next hurdle. That is what “adulting” is. It is about realizing how limited your understanding of the world is and committing to changing that- one action at a time.

I’ve begun my commitment to this feat by writing down what I want out of this experience. I’ve made a list of things I want to experience, mainly cities I want to travel to and other activities I want to push myself to experience. One of these experiences is to take a trip alone. Solo travel is one of those things that is said to cultivate significant introspection and serve as an opportunity for a holistic personal reset. Similar to eating at a restaurant alone or shaving your head- everyone is supposed to try it once. So why not now? I leave tomorrow for three weeks of travel (some solo and some not), and I cannot wait to share everything this freshly 20-year-old mind will absorb as I traverse the wicked but blessed path of international travel! In the meantime, I take pictures everywhere I go and could not deprive you all of a taste- take a look at some spectacular street art and murals from London, Oxford, Brussels, and Dublin!