From Barranquilla, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, to the streets of London, Mariana reflects on how learning English in a British environment reshaped the way she thinks, communicates, and engages with the world around her. Her journey is a story of language, identity, cultural discovery, and personal growth. Photo: Mariana stands alongside her classmates at the gates of Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the British monarch
When my flight left Colombia for the United . Kingdom, I carried more than luggage.
Packed alongside my clothes and travel documents were years of English lessons, countless grammar exercises and a question I had never truly been able to answer:
Can a person think and communicate the same way in two different languages?
The answer began to unfold during the nearly ten-hour journey from Barranquilla, Colombia's Caribbean gateway, to England.
I traveled with a group of fellow students, all sharing the same goal: to improve our English by experiencing it where it is spoken every day, not merely studied in a classroom.
Tower Bridge, one of London's most recognizable landmarks spanning the River Thames. Photo: Mariana Enciso.
When English Becomes Real
My first lesson came almost immediately after landing.
For years, I had listened to recordings, completed listening exercises and practiced pronunciation. Yet hearing English spoken naturally by native speakers was entirely different.
The pace was faster. The British accents were richer and more varied. Expressions appeared that I had never encountered in textbooks.
For the first time, I realized that learning a language and living a language are not the same experience.
Panoramic view of Hastings, the historic seaside town on England’s southern coast. Photo courtesy of: www.discoverbritain.com.
Discovering Life in Hastings
Our destination was Hastings, where we stayed at Buckswood School.
Surrounded by green landscapes and historic-looking buildings, the campus offered a peaceful atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the rhythm of life I knew back home.
The cultural differences became evident quickly.
People seemed polite, organized and respectful. While often reserved at first, they were consistently willing to help when needed.
Their approach to social interaction was different from what I was accustomed to in Colombia, yet equally welcoming in its own way.
Learning That English Has Many Voices
As the days passed, I discovered another important lesson.
The English taught in classrooms is only one version of the language.
Daily conversations were filled with local expressions, shortcuts and accents that required careful attention.
Sometimes I understood every individual word but needed an extra moment to grasp the meaning of the entire sentence.
Those moments pushed me to think faster, listen more carefully and become more adaptable.
Photo: Mariana sits down for dinner with a group of classmates, sharing a moment of conversation and connection during an evening meal, offering a glimpse into the social bonds and routines that shape campus life.
Culture at the Dinner Table
Language was not the only thing I was learning.
Mealtimes revealed cultural differences as well.
The schedules differed significantly from those in Colombia, and many dishes felt surprisingly simple compared with the rich variety of Colombian cuisine.
Still, trying unfamiliar foods became another way of understanding the culture around me.
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Big Ben, the iconic clock tower that has become a symbol of both London and the United Kingdom. Photo courtesy of: www.london-forever.com.
London: Where History Meets the Future
One of the highlights of the trip was our visit to London.
After roughly two hours of travel from Hastings, we arrived in a city where centuries of history coexist with modern architecture.
The weather quickly proved its reputation.
Sunshine, wind and rain could all appear within a single day, making an umbrella an essential companion.
Our guided tour included some of London's most recognizable landmarks: Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge.
Yet what impressed me most was not a single monument.
It was the seamless blend of old and new.
Historic buildings stood alongside contemporary glass structures, creating a cityscape that felt both timeless and constantly evolving.
London Eye, the giant observation wheel offering panoramic views of the British capital. Photo courtesy of: www.expedia.dk.
Thinking in Spanish, Speaking in English
Some of my favorite memories came from the challenges of communication itself.
More than once, I crafted a perfect sentence in Spanish inside my head only to stumble when trying to say it in English.
Words from both languages occasionally collided, producing unexpected combinations and moments of laughter.
There was also the challenge of remembering to look the correct direction before crossing a street. In the United Kingdom, traffic moves on the left side, a detail that required constant adjustment.
Photo: Mariana celebrates her graduation from an Advanced English program at Buckswood School, a prestigious coeducational boarding school in East Sussex, located near the historic town of Hastings.
More Than a Language Lesson
Looking back, this journey was about far more than improving my English.
It taught me independence, adaptability and cultural awareness.
Most importantly, it showed me that language is more than vocabulary and grammar.
Each language offers a different lens through which to understand the world.
The United Kingdom helped me strengthen my English skills, but it also helped me better understand myself.
And that may have been the most valuable lesson of all.
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