Since being in London for a month, I have had some time to reflect on the experiences that I have had in this short time. I realize that I came into the country with unrealistic expectations and standards that just have not been met. I expected the stereotypical version of London that is portrayed in the movies such as Mary Poppins. I expected to be living in Kensington where everyone would be dressed fancy, have thick British accents, and experience the most elite things to do in London. In reality, we live in West London where we take a twenty-minute tube ride to get to the center of London. Our housing community is more like the Lower East Side of Manhattan than Kensington. I have not yet found my niche here; I need to adapt my expectations to my reality and immerse myself with the way the natives live.
What I have learned is that London is extremely cultured and there is not a specific vibe, but many different ones. You can get off the Tube at Baker Street and have it be very posh with gorgeous authentic pubs, and then you can take the tube east bound and have the best curry you could ever imagine. Being the outsider, I feel way more comfortable than I ever expected. People seem to be fascinated with American culture and want to pick our brains with political and cultural questions. It is easy to talk to the people and it is exciting getting to experience the hidden gems they only know about. I went into this experience being scared of how people will react to me, not only in London, but all throughout Europe. For the most part, that fear has disappeared. I feel like I belong here now. While traveling to other countries such as France and Italy, I have had different experiences interacting with the natives than I do in London.
For me, the easiest thing about being here is that people speak English and we can relate to a lot of the same things. I can go into a coffee shop and start my morning like I would in America and converse a bit with the locals. The hardest thing about being here is that London is so big. I am completely overwhelmed by not knowing where to go because there are so many different parts of the city and I am so un-familiarized.