GW offers a litany of different countries that you can study abroad in on every continent in the world, save for the frozen one. There are literally opportunities to suite any desire that you may have.
So why am I going to London? After all, it's a rather expansive world out there, so what was it about London that intrigued me? There's a myriad of reasons, truth be told, but I won't bore you with them all. In summation, there were two deciding factors: the language and the culture.
I'm not going to lie, the fact that England is an English-speaking country drew me towards it. It's not that I don't want to learn a second language - quite the contrary, actually - I just possess a knack for utterly butchering any foreign language I attempt to speak. French, Spanish, you name it and I can't speak it. No joke, I was literally told by my GW Spanish 4 professor that I write as though I'm in an advanced Spanish class but I speak as though I'm in Spanish 101. I figured I'd best stick to English-speaking countries, lest I accidentally wander into a restricted area because I can't understand what local law enforcement is saying.
The overwhelming reason I chose London, however, has to do with the literary culture. I'm an English major; nothing gets me hotter than curling up with a cup of coffee and reading Thomas Hardy or James Joyce. Though there are some profound American writers that I enjoy, it's the writers from the United Kingdom that truly peak my interest. The world has changed tremendously since Beckett or Dickens last published their work, yet I still feel as though I need to walk in their shoes and experience the progression of their cultures. I want to be able to discern between the cultural differences of those from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. I want the ability to pick out a Yorkshire accent from a UK line-up. I want to learn about the culture and the history of the writers who inspire my own writing.
In truth, my journey to London begins with one part ineptitude, two parts curiosity. Though I don't expect my own failings with enunciating in Spanish to be assuaged anytime soon, I hope this utter chance of a lifetime will somewhat satisfy my curiosity. I doubt it, though; I bet no matter how much of London I see, it will never be enough. But such is life, eh?