“Good morning ladies and gentlemen! Please make sure your seats are in the upright position, your tray tables are stowed and all luggage is pushed under the seat in front of you. Please turn off all electronics and keep your seatbelt fastened. We will be landing shortly.” My stomach erupts in butterflies again as I hear those words. After 7 hours and 15 minutes of sitting on this plane, I was finally arriving. I was shaking while my eyes were glued to the screen in front of me showing the plane slowly start to descend. This was it, I was officially starting my journey to live in London, England for the next three months.

This had been my dream since I was ten. I had been planning for nine years to go to London to live and study, and finally, it was happening. All the pictures hanging up in my room of Tower Bridge and the London Eye were going to become my reality. This magical place I had been raving about for years was becoming my home and although I was ready for this new chapter in my life, I was nervous for what it would hold in store for me.

I got off the plane and went through customs, my hands still shaking trying to hand the man my passport and paperwork. I had reviewed the paperwork over and over again as I waited in the line of customs. Flight itinerary, bank statement, an acceptance letter to the University of Roehampton, passport, customs sheet; I recounted them over and over again until I approached the window.

“Business, holiday, or schooling?” I was asked.

“Schooling, I will be studying here for three months,” I responded, my voice shaking.

“Where are you studying?” He asked me, “The University of Roehampton in South West London,” I replied to him.

“And what are you studying here?” I felt like I was being tested with all the questions he was asking me. After I answered to him that I was studying education and teaching he stamped my passport with three different stamps, gave me a smile and handed back my passport wishing me a good rest of my day.