Friday, January 23
Arriving in London one week ago, I’ve been keen to explore the city. I sustained several days of jet lag while acclimating to the local time zone. Rambling around while trying to investigate the Tube, selecting a phone plan, and sorting out my rooming situation were added challenges. An early highlight was a bus tour of London at sunset with stunning views along the Thames River as well as later walking tours to become acquainted with parts of the city. A week later I feel familiarized and so happy to be in London. I am very pleased with my internship placement and classes so far. The classes have included exploring the global city and learning through on-site interaction, which meshes with my preference for active learning exercises, rather than isolating classroom experiences. I located and joined a gym so I am able to balance my internship, class, and exercise schedule. I am already very comfortable navigating my way around the city even though there is still so much I have not seen. This weekend we will take a daytrip to Stonehenge and Bath. The following weekend I will spend in Paris. I use the Facetime App to contact my mom and friends back home frequently so that I don’t feel homesick at all. I am absolutely loving London and the friends I have made here so far. This experience has boosted my confidence that I can do anything I want in life as long as I work hard to achieve it. So far, the people who I have encountered has been remarkably friendly and clearly love to carry on conversations with Americans. The variety and quality of food I’ve tasted so far in London is wonderful. In my opinion, it is truly the best city.
Sunday January 25th
This past weekend I explored the Roman city of Bath and the Stonehenge historical landmark. It was an absolutely amazing day which I concluded with a traditional afternoon tea featuring scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream. As I am getting better acquainted with my roommates better along with the city of London, my fondness for this experience is growing. I begin the first official week of my internship along with the second week of classes tomorrow. My classrooms are on the same street as the Victoria and Albert Art museum and the Natural History Museum along with the famous department store Harrods. When I have a break between classes, I love exploring the museums, enjoying them as frequently as possible since most museums in London have free entry. I feel like I have seen so much of London in the short time period I have been here but I know there is much more to experience, and I am excitedly looking forward to every moment of it.