As I prepared to leave for my flight to New York, I had one of the biggest emotional breakdowns I’ve had in months. I was set to leave for my flight to New Jersey on Sunday, September 10, at 6 a.m. I missed my flight. To get where I needed to be, I had to re-book for the next day.
As I pondered what was happening in that moment, I remember feeling so incapable of surviving in another country, let alone for three months. I slept all that day until a friend of mine came to pick me up around 8 p.m. We were about to say goodbye for the next 100 days. As we were riding to my friend’s house, I asked her to make a stop at my cousin’s because I felt an overwhelming flood of emotion.
Standing on my cousin’s back porch, I bawled my eyes out, telling her I couldn’t do it anymore and didn’t want to go to London. Thankfully, she told me that wasn’t an option and encouraged me to do the very thing I was afraid of. In case you were wondering, I planned to fly New Jersey on Monday, take the train to New York, travel to stay with another family member until Tuesday evening, then take a red-eye to London…and that’s exactly what I did.
My first few days in London, I was able to meet my flat rep and other international students and make plans to travel to what’s now my favorite town, Putney. From that point forward, I began making friends and engaging in events meant for freshers to become acquainted with one another and our new environment. I was fitting right in if you asked me, and I loved every moment of it.
I even joined different organizations on campus, such as a Third Row Dance Company and Believers Love World (a Christian club). I put myself out there because I wanted to truly immerse myself in the community and live as a local. Both organizations, or as we like to call them, “societies,” allowed me to not only meet likeminded people but also establish relationships with the members of each group. I chose this route because I wanted to maintain some type of structure while staying true to myself and beliefs. In hindsight, this paved the way for me to build lasting connections while in London.
The question now is: How has Tzeniah changed, then? The answer is that, above all, I’ve grown stronger mentally. I faced my fear of the unknown. It was not easy and, to be completely honest, I had plenty of moments where I only had a mustard seed of faith. However, I persevered—and had a great time at that.
I’ve expanded my knowledge of different types of people and gained new perspectives on the functionality of humans. I’ve learned many things, such as how to learn the transportation system in a new country. I completely stepped out of my comfort zone, and it created a greater understanding of myself. I want to encourage others to do the same.
We, as individuals, shouldn’t be limited to the barriers of one place in this world, but instead travel and learn should the opportunity present itself. Had I let my fears get the best of me, I would’ve 1. wasted over $1,000 dollars in airfare, and 2. not have experienced what life is like in the U.K. But, most importantly, I would’ve missed out on the relationships I built.
Tzeniah Frazier is a student at Messiah University and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is studying with ISA in London, England.
