Arrived in London, England! Many mixed emotions, but mostly excited to be studying abroad! I arrived at Heathrow Airport, and had to lug my three, yes three, suitcases through the airport down to the tube (subways), and took the tube for an hour to Kings Cross Station, which is a 5 minute walk from where I am living for the next 4 months! I found a black cab, and he took me to my accommodations. While we were driving, I asked the dirver a few questions. He told me that in order to be a cab driver in London, they must memorize every street and know the quickest route from one location to the other. At the end of their training period, they are required to score over a 95% on their test in order to get their cab license! They are totally experienced drivers to say the least.
My first night in London was uneventful. My roommate didn’t arrive and the he jet lag finally hit me so I fell asleep at 8pm and did not wake up until 11am!
My first day in London I met a few girls who were from Pennsylvania, and we did some exploring and touristy things together including, Big Ben, Parliament, London Eye, Trafalgar Square and much more! Various markets are a big thing here in London. Don’t even get me started about the food markets. They are delicious!! This first week we went to a few specialty food markets including some popular ones like Borough Market and Camden Market, and we tried some tradition English street food including scotch eggs, sausage on a stick and delicious baked goods. The food markets get super busy during lunch-time because people come from all different parts of London to get some grub! Our first week was mainly focused on the typical touristy things and getting a hang of the British culture, which is very different from US culture, including driving on the wrong side of the road!
I am super excited for the next 14 weeks of living here and experiencing a whole new culture. Studying abroad is a great opportunity to meet loads of different people and get the chance to see life through a different lens.