I have been in London for a full 5 weeks of classes and a week prior to that. I must admit, I am so pleased with how my experience is going. I had feared living in a foreign county alone and finding no one that I could relate to or enjoy the city with. Happily, I can report that I have made several friends and CAPA has given us many opportunities to bond and to explore the area safely as a group.
I arrived at the appointed time for checkin at my flat and found that I was the first to arrive. My flatmates had flights arriving that day and one was delayed until the next day, due to hurricane Dorian. I was able to settle in and determine what items I needed to go purchase. The first necessity was a fan. London was experiencing above normal temperatures and my flat has no AC. I also needed additional clothes hangers as well as basic personal items and cleaning supplies. I left my flat and explored the area to find the best places for those items. There is a Sandbury, which is similar to a Walmart, across the street from my flat. I found a Pound Store a couple of blocks away and a catalog store, Argos, that carries all types of household items, which also is a couple of blocks away. I shopped all 3 stores and returned to my flat to set up my semester home. In the afternoon, my 2 other flatmates had arrived. They settled in then we all had an early dinner together, at a local pub, so they could catch up on their sleep. The next morning we all determined there was another item we needed for the semester, a mattress topper. Our beds felt lumpy as well as we could feel the spring in the mattresses. So off to Argos, the catalog store, we went. That night, with nice mattress toppers in our beds, we slept much better.
Our 4th flatmate also arrived that day and we all went for orientation and began meeting other CAPA students.
I actually enjoy each of my flatmates and have become close enough with them to plan travels with them. I consider them all very close friends now.
After my first 6 weeks in London, I can honestly say, I find myself falling in love with the city more every day.
