Minding The Gap: Reflections on a month in London

As the underground Tube pulls into the station, a recorded tape reminds passengers to "mind the gap" between the train and the platform as they disembark. The phrase has become a trademark in London, so much so that vendors sell t-shirts with the phrase on them. While these words have a simple, practical purpose for the Tube, as this trip has progressed, I have begun to think of them as a metaphor for my experience in London over the past month. In many ways, this trip has forced me to take a step out of my comfort zone, observe and engage in a new culture and environment, and embrace new challenges.
    Whenever we step out of our natural surroundings, it becomes necessary to change our habits and little things in our daily routine that we might normally take for granted. For example, when crossing a street in the US, our natural tendency is to look left for oncoming traffic, make a quick glance right, and then cross. In London, this whole pattern has to be reversed. Another major difference from the US is the currency. With coins of all different sizes and values than what we utilize in the US, fishing for change at the coffee shop becomes a whole new experience, especially when one has to press the coin up to his eye to see what it's worth as the other customers in line roll their eyes. In essence, when traveling in a foreign country, we must "mind the gap" between our familiar customs and those of where we find ourselves.
    The major focus of the trip was theatre, and as I watched the plethora of plays that the West End has to offer, I was challenged to watch each production with a much more critical eye than I had used previously. Primarily, I was tasked with asking "why" questions. Why does this actor or actress portray the part as he or she is? Why is the set minimal? Why effect did the lights and sound have on the show? These are just a few of the questions that one could think of while experiencing a show. Overall, this trip has transformed me from a fan of theatre into a student of theatre. It has forced me to "mind the gap" between being a passive observer interested solely in entertainment and a focused student intent on grasping the message that each production is trying to convey.
    Finally, this trip has given me a taste of what it is like to be completely responsible for myself. As I near the end of my junior year of college, my mind frequently turns to what life will be like "in the real world" without the consistent foundation that I have come to expect from school, home, and family. While I was still under the wing of St. Olaf on this trip, having money, tickets, and accommodations provided for me, the reality that I will have to come up with these things on my own in a year and a half is starting to hit me. Needless to say, there is certainly a gap between these two different lifestyles.
   As I prepare to depart London and return to the US, I hope to bring with me an appreciation of the culture and history that I have absorbed here, maintain the new friendships I have developed, and finally, mind the gap between the person I was and the person I have become.