Can’t believe it is already February. Going into my 4th week of studying abroad. I have thoroughly enjoyed my classes so far. All my professors are from London so its great to get a different perspective on all the different subjects I am studying here.

The commute to and from class has been so incredibly easy. My apartment is a 5 minute walk to Kilburn Park station. From there I take the Bakerloo line a couple stops to Paddington. Usually the Bakerloo is pretty empty which is always nice. At Paddington I transfer to the Circle or District line which are generally rather busy during rush hour. It’s remarkable how quiet the tube is when comparing it to other cities where I’ve taken the train often such as New York or Buenos Aires.

I’m very used to taking the subway in New York. I have two brother’s who live there so I’m there often and had an internship in New York last summer and the upcoming summer. The subway compared to London is much dirtier and the trains definitely don’t come as quickly as they don in London.

In Pittsburgh I’m not using public transportation like I am in New York or London. I’m lucky enough to have my car with me at school so I just use that.

I love that I always have 30 minutes on the tube in the morning and afternoon to either listen to podcasts or to some music, which for me is a great way to start the day. Dislikes wise, I dislike that I can’t fall asleep or I’ll definitely miss my stop.

Recommendations for students coming to London: get a wallet that you can put your Oyster card on the outside, so you can just press your wallet against the reader and you don’t have to take out your card every time you get in and out of the station. Along with that, try not to make too much noise when on the tube or people tend to give you snarky looks.

Best thing that happened to me on the tube happened last week, a golden retriever guide dog was on my ride to school. I got to pet her for 20 minutes…was very nice.

 

That’s all from me for the week, I’m gonna go live my life now!

 

Andres