Living in a foreign country changes the way you view the world. Every day, you experience new events and ideas that challenge you and give you new perspective. I strongly encourage underclassmen to apply to the study abroad program. Having lived in London for almost two months now, there are so many ways in which my travels have enriched my life.

However, if you would not mind indulging me for a moment, I thought I might engage in a little light-hearted ranting. London is fabulous, but sometimes there are things that even I miss about good ol’ America. Here is a list of things I most miss about home:

  1. Food that lasts longer than three days—In the U.S., we use these magical substances called preservatives. These friendly little chemicals keep our food nice and fresh, often for weeks at a time. Might they also be giving us cancer? Perhaps, but it sure beats having to go to the grocery store every other day.
  2. Dryers—For Europeans, there are few things more frightening than a dryer. At Halloween time, little Londoners dress up as these horrifying dryers, terrifying their friends and family in search of candy. No matter where you go on this continent, it is almost impossible to find a dryer.
  3. A real breakfast—In the morning, the French head to the local café for a croissant and an espresso. For the Italians, a cornetto and a cappuccino. The thing missing? A heaping pile of pancakes with a massive side of bacon. The idea of an American-sized breakfast is virtually non-existent. At best, you might get a few sad pieces of Canadian bacon, which are essentially worthless.
  4. Weather that makes sense—Winter in New York? I get that. Big coats, fluffy parkas, the whole works. Spring in London? Not so much. One day it is 55 degrees and sunny, and you are sweating buckets as you try to climb up the stairs. The next day, it is 35 degrees and snowing. Almost like South Bend.
  5. Household items that do not cost a fortune—One of the strangest things about Europe is the reversal in costs. Things like wine and cheese might cost less than $3 apiece. But want to buy toilet paper? Might as well start emptying your pockets now.
  6. Music that is current—European music, particularly ethnic music, is great fun to listen to. However, no matter where you travel, it seems like every country is at least three months behind whatever music trend is going on in the U.S. I half expect to be dancing to “Soulja Boy” when I go out on the weekend.

Thank you for allowing me to briefly rant about all the comforts of home that I miss. Make sure you don’t get me wrong, though. Studying abroad is fabulous, but every once and awhile we all need to get some things off of our chest. Best wishes from England!

Declan Feeley is a junior finance and theology major currently studying abroad in London. Want advice or suggestions about studying abroad? Email him at dfeeley@nd.edu.