What do you know - I AM learning here!

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

I'll be honest - I was a little worried about going to London because I felt as though I wouldn't learn as much in class as I did in the states. I almost expected it to be like a four-month vacation. While the workload is certainly less than it was in the states, I find myself learning so much more than I had anticipated.

The first couple of weeks were pretty difficult for me. I was homesick. I like to pretend I'm strong and yadda yadda. Whatever. But the truth is, I missed my mommy and daddy too! I missed my family, friends, professors, special friends ( :) ), everything. I missed JIF peanut butter. I missed Wegmans. It was hard, but I got over that barrier, and was able to allow myself to enjoy London in my own way. I began to do things that appealed to me, and I began to get closer to my friends. I don't know what I would do without the friends I have made in college. Some of them were feeling homesick too, and some of them were having the time of their lives right from the beginning. No matter what their situation was, they were there for me and lifted me out of the rut I was in. When you are in such close quarters, as we are in this program, you become much more aware of your relationships with people. I have become so much more aware of the kind of person I want to be, and the kind of people I want to surround myself with. Life is far too short to spend time being upset, or around people that bring you down. Relationships we form - whether friendships or romantic - should enrich our lives. They should not be exhausting, or a burden to us. This is not to say that they don't take effort - they most certainly do. They are two-way streets, though. They require compassion, effort, and respect. I have never been so grateful in my life for the the relationships (of all types) I have formed in college. I have learned so much about myself and the kind of person I aspire to be. I have found that I've been so much happier since I've been thinking this way. Life lessons being learned in London! My dad would be proud. Now, time for pictures of some of my favorite people :) I hope everyone is able to find people like this in their lives.

xo Jamie