I’ve been very busy and sick since finals week ended, and I haven’t gotten around to my introduction post, so this post will serve as double duty for my Introduction and my week until departure post. My name is John Goldsmith, I am an English lit major, and this summer I will be participating in CCSA’s London Summer program at King’s College London and will be taking a literature course on Shakespeare while I am there. I chose to participate in this program for several reasons. While most of my goals for this program are academic related, my primary goal is to branch out and immerse myself in a new location with new faces. At Western, I have been lucky enough to have made incredible friendships through my work as a Peer Mentor (picture on the right) as well as my years on campus (picture on the left). My friends at Western provide me with feelings of safety and security, but I don’t want to become too dependent on the relationships and connections I’ve made at WOU. By participating in this program, I am able to expand my horizons by living in a brand new city with people whom I’ve never met before. I am certain that this program will not only encourage me academically, as I will be studying in one of the premiere cities for English Literature, but I will also be able to make myself a more adaptable person in the real world.

I have one week left until I leave for London, and so far everything seems to be going smoothly. I am a bit nervous about the travel and the overall experience, but I’m more excited than anything. Last night, on our program’s Facebook page, the other students and I had a very lengthy post regarding which characters from the Harry Potter series and the Lord of the Rings were superior to their most similar counterpart. Having a post like that, where we were all able to express our opinions and be ourselves, made me much more excited about meeting the people I will be studying with over in London. I have also started the readings for my class, but due to being chronically busy and recently falling sick with a nasty cold, I haven’t been able to read as much as I would like. Aside from my readings, I am prepared for my month in London. I have everything I will need for my time over there, and all I have left to do is pack my suitcase. Until then, I will be relaxing and making the most of my time home before I leave.