Life After London

Running alone through the streets of the Westminster borough in London, equipped with only a backpack full from his travels and a new-found sense of self-reliance, Shiva Dang desperately searched for a way out of the city amidst the largest train strike in the last three years. 

“There I was in the city of Westminster just trying to get out of it,” said Dang, recounting the impossible task at hand.

With his intended destination nearly a hundred miles away, Dang was stuck with seemingly no way out. After running two miles from one end of the city to the other, he was forced to make the two-mile trek again in an effort to reach his final hope of leaving London. 

Historical monuments and signs for iconic destinations such as Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace flashed in his peripheral as he rushed to Euston station where he graciously caught the last train leaving the city.

Although Dang previously possessed skills of perseverance and adaptability from prior solo travel experience, this dire situation allowed him to not only use these skills in a way he never thought he would have to, but also allowed him to improve on these skills in a greater way than ever before. 

Studying abroad at the University of Leicester for the entirety of his junior year, Dang, an international studies major at Cal State Long Beach, learned more than just academic lessons during his year across the pond. 

Shiva Dang at Piccadilly Circus during the rainy coronation of King Charles III. Photo courtesy of Shiva Dang.

Upon arrival, he quickly discovered that the schooling system in the U.K. would not hold his hand the way it did in America. 

His assignments were semester-long projects which the professors offered minimal guidance on, and what verbal guidance they did provide often left a lot of room for interpretation from students.

Though this lack of a structured rubric may seem daunting to American students, according to Dang it allowed British students to not feel defined by their studies and allowed for time and space to be made for a greater sense of community amongst students.

“You have a place,” Dang said as he spoke of the countless societies— better known as clubs in America— that were present at his university. 

“You can definitely find something for yourself, something you can be a part of.” 

He credits the independence he gained while studying abroad to multiple factors of London life, including the U.K.’s emphasis on work-life balance, as well as the public transportation system. 

Dang certainly took advantage of the amazing opportunities that European public transport provides, regularly hopping on the tube to explore other cities and entire countries across the continent. His passion for foreign policy only grew as he came face to face with the places he one day hopes to help. 

The iconic tube that Dang used to embark on his travels abroad passes by as he poses for a photo. Photo courtesy of Shiva Dang.

Comparative to American hustle culture, Dang saw firsthand the importance of work-life balance in British society. 

In comparison to his fellow Americans and their strive for constant growth in wealth and career status, he saw how his British classmates and members of the population abroad strived simply for satisfactory lives where their needs were met and they had enough.

“They're striving just to keep themselves happy consistently, and that's what they do,” said Dang, touching on how the structures of government and society help people understand the value of life in the U.K. 

Being essentially pushed off of the tree of life and into the world like a baby bird by its mother, Dang learned to fly in this environment. 

He expressed that studying abroad not only instilled a sense of independence in him, but also increased his ability to establish rapport quickly with those around him, and even elevated his focus on career interests and long-term goals.

Now entering his senior year at CSULB, Dang is looking ahead at his future with this incredible educational experience in his back pocket. 

The independence that Dang gained during his year abroad has encouraged him to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs and marketing in the U.K. He plans on continuing his studies with aspirations to further broaden his skill sets.

Hoping to apply his knowledge of marketing to sustainable development and foreign policy, Dang says: “I want to help be a part of a bigger change and help improve the world in any way.”

With his tote bag from Gregg’s, an iconic British bakery chain, slung across his shoulder and his newly instilled self-confidence soaring, Dang is prepared to face the world head-on.

 He hopes his experience inspires others to take that leap for themselves: to jump into the world with an open mind that is ready to learn not only about the people and places around them, but also about themselves. 

The White Cliffs of Dover in England, where Dang traveled with a friend from CSULB. Photo by Shiva Dang.

Being thrown into a completely foreign society without a guided map of how to survive, Dang thrived in this new climate. 

Thanks to the self-sufficiency ingrained in him through his study abroad experience, Dang feels that he has learned more about himself than ever before. Living life on his own in a different country taught him that he could handle anything and that nothing could stop him, not even a city-wide train strike.

Studying abroad, Dang expressed, is both academically and personally educational. 

From the people you meet and the memories you make, to the trains you miss and the cities you get stranded in, the experience of living abroad is as immersive as it gets. 

“I live my life very differently now,” said Dang. “I feel like I can take on anything that I want to at this moment.”