I can’t believe that I have almost been in London for six weeks! It honestly feels like so much longer as I am ingrained in the culture already. I have been doing some cool things recently. Despite it being midterms week, and since I’m drowning in work a little, let’s take a look down memory lane of my past few weeks here:
- One weekend, I went Notting Hill to see Portobello Road, which is this large outdoor market. It was super cool to see all of the various cultures come together in one location to sell food, apparel, gifts, etc. While there, I treated myself to a German sausage and a donut.
- With my Urban Studies class, I visited Greenwich and learned about London’s maritime history. I would highly recommend this class to anyone in any location as it truly is a great way to learn about the city’s culture!
- A few weekends ago I visited Brussels with a few of my friends. Despite unlucky weather, we ate our way through the city with waffles, fries, and chocolate on repeat.
- I went to the Natural History Museums with some friends. It was interesting to see this museum compared to the one in Pittsburgh. While both are amazing, this one just seemed so grand due to the architecture!
After being in London now for some time, I would give three specific takeaways from my trip thus far would be:
- Visit the Museums and Cultural Attractions: A lot of cultural things can be free in London just like they are for students in Pittsburgh. So far, I haven’t gotten to as many museums as I would have wanted to as the school work has piled up, but I have plans to go to many more after spring break! I am super excited for the Tate Modern which is somewhere I will go with my Urban Studies class in a few weeks.
- Don’t Feel as If You Need to Leave London Every Weekend: When I originally set my mind on coming over to London, I was ecstatic about how easy it would be to travel to all different parts of Europe. While this is totally possible, it is important to get to know your city. Traveling every weekend would also be exhausting, expensive, and definitely not the best for your studies. Save some time~and money~by spending some weekends in London so you can enjoy spring break more!
- Take Lots of Pictures: Since time really does fly while abroad, it is important to capture as many moments as possible. While here, I started taking some vlog clips that I am compiling so I have something to look back on from my trip. I would highly suggest doing this as it already makes me reminisce about memories from earlier in the program.
On Friday, I will be headed off to Portugal and Spain for spring break. I can’t wait to explore two new countries and cultures. Until next time, cheerio!