8 hours and 3,848 miles later… I have made it to London! What a whirlwind this past week has been! From arriving last Tuesday and adjusting to the new time zone along with the anticipated jet lag to slowly navigating my way around the city, my time here has been filled with nothing short of activity and excitement! My body has been overloaded with such adrenaline and excitement this past week that I’ve been looking forward to having a little bit of down time as classes start. I think I have finally come to the realization that I will be living here for the next 4 months. It has all felt like a far-off fantasy beforehand!
My first week here has been filled with learning how to navigate my way around the city through the different modes of London transportation (the tube, and yes those big double deckered red buses), getting used to walking on the left and standing on the right, knowing where I can see the endless options of theatre productions, finding the best spot for afternoon tea, Sunday roast and of course a delicious crumpet, and soaking up all this city has to offer! There’s so much to see in such a short amount of time. As this can be quite an overwhelming realization, I think the best way to make the most out of a study abroad experience is knowing what’s important to you and making sure you hit all the places on your list!
With as big of a city as London is, there’s something for everyone! This has been something that I’ve quickly grown to appreciate here. No matter what your interests or goals are for studying abroad, London seems to have quite the spread! All walks of life pass through this city on a daily basis and within the recent decades, London has actually become one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. From being here just a week, it has opened my eyes to the lives people live outside of the US and has already given me a greater appreciation for cultural awareness (one of my goals)! Cheers to the first week here in London!