I am currently writing this blog while eating lunch in Kensington Garden overlooking Round Pond and Kensington Palace. I have officially been in London for one week now and I’m finally settling in. Since my last blog, I have visited some of the historic sites around the city, while also starting my internship and my classes.

On Saturday, following a week of orientation and introductions, the program organized a bus trip around the city for us. We were able to see Covent Gradens, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge before dropping us in Trafalgar Square to explore the city on our own. London itself is beautiful; it’s a mix between new and old and the architecture is breathtaking. Also, for it being such a large cosmopolitan area it is surprising how green parts of the city can be.

On Sunday, I decided to take a ride on the Tube to understand where my internship was located and how to get there. Unfortunately I was unaware that a lot of the stations close down on the weekends for repairs. So, as I made my way to the center of the city I found that I was suddenly stranded. Fortunately I was up for an adventure and began my walk towards Buckingham Palace and than onto my internship in Westminster. After a couple wrong turns and the feeling that I was headed the wrong way, I finally found my way down The Mall and towards Buckingham Palace. After taking in the sites I sat down for a Sunday roast (which is half a chicken with potatoes and vegetables) before finally heading home.

Monday was my first day at the internship and luckily a way easier commute with all the stations up and running. I am interning at an investment company called Hambro Perks and working with the Growth team. After meeting with my supervisor and going over some of the goals he has for me during my time with the company, he put me write to work on my project. Even though I’ve only been in the office for one day I feel that I am going to learn a lot, while also receiving valuable work experience.

Finally, yesterday and today I’ve had my classes at the CAPA center. I am really looking forward to my British Popular Culture class where we are going to a Pink Floyd exhibit next week, Abbey Roads in October, and hopefully getting to see some Banksy’s somewhere in London. All the classes seem interesting and they all utilize the city as a learning tool, so I’ll be seeing Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and holding a solid gold brick at the Bank of London.

All in all, the experience has been amazing so far. If only the weather could make up its mind everyday than I’d have nothing to complain about.