London is a mixing pot of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and experiences. Meanwhile, I grew up in a small suburban town in Central Florida, am Christian, and a white middle-class American. To say I am excited to delve into the ever-expanding cultural palette of London is a vast understatement.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although I have traveled throughout North America, the Carribbean, and Europe, I have yet to truly be immersed in a culture for an extended period of time. In my opinion, you truly never get to know a location and its vibrant culture until you lived, breathed, and walked in the \u201cshoes\u201d of its people. Luckily, with London, I am at the great advantage of not having to encounter language barriers while I am there. Although I am excited to perk up my ears and listen to the various languages spoken in London, I am grateful to be studying, interning, and residing in a country that uses English as its primary language. This is a great advantage that is often taken for granted. It avoids misdirection, communication problems, and overall, will cause me a lot less stress, instead of trying to scramble for words on Google Translate.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though I have spread my wings and traveled around the world before, I feel as if I am in for a whole new experience. As cheesy as this may sound: I want to be more cultured. I want to be able to automatically navigate myself throughout the streets of London and speak the many tongues of its people. To me, being a small suburban, monolinguistic student is the barrier that separates me from being an observer in London to being a true \u201cLondoner.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
True \u201cLondoners\u201d know how to weave in and out of the Tube, handle the hustle and bustle of the city, grab a pint with colleagues after work and feast on the various London delicies. As much as I may wish, I cannot just snap my fingers and automatically speak another language. Nor can I automatically understand how much tartar sauce to add to my fish and chips. Nor understand how to use Cockney rhyming slang – which is very popular in Britain. Nor can I know everything there is in order to fit in. But here is the thing: I do not want to. Why fit in when you were born to stand out? As cliche as the phrase may be, I do not want to push myself full force in British culture and assimilate, but rather I intend on maintaining my identity and absorbing all of the sights and sounds that I encounter.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In all honesty, I am unsure about what I will experience, who I will meet and what I will learn – both inside and outside of the classroom – while in London. All I know is that I am looking for an EXPERIENCE! One that will challenge my all of my previous misconceptions and turn my entire perception of life and traveling upside down. Bring it on London! I am as ready as I will ever be! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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