I have to admit, the beginning of the trip I was a dissociative mess. The plane was filled with people, I was squished between two men who snored. I was relieved when we finally landed, only to be stuck on a warm bus for three hours. We arrived at the hotel, had time to place our suitcases in a storeroom and dash to meet the other group for dinner. I knew, as we were speed walking to the restaurant, that this trip would be filled with plans unraveling. I could not have been more happy.
The reason as to why I was not anxious as I explored a unfamiliar country and why the chaos was pleasing, was the people I traveled with. My Professors, my fellow SPC classmates and the British tour guides, made this trip feel like a wonderful dream. The group I traveled with were filled with lively personalities, that made even a introvert like me feel comfortable and accepted. There was never one moment where I had felt left out of left behind.

Our tour guides had such lovely humor as well. One joke I will never forget was with the tour guide showing us Tower of London. He was mentioning how posh a young boys school was. It was little moments like these that made the trip for me. Yes; witnessing various different cultures, just walking down Whitechapel Rd (where our hotel resided) and the architecture of hundred year-old buildings that would make any architect envious, was thrilling. However, the discussions I shared with my classmates, Professors, and our main guide Simon are discussions I could never and will never forget. London is a city that I have fallen in love with, I have the people I met to thank for that.

-Caley, SPC England Study Abroad Program, May 2025