My first few weeks in London were very busy! I was discovering how to adjust to life in a different country as well as how to balance a work/school life. Taking classes for two days of the week and interning the other three was a big adjustment as I was out of my flat from 8:30am to 6:30pm every day!
The first thing I needed to do to grow more comfortable in London was to build a schedule – something to keep my weekdays routine and allow myself to fall into a rhythm so I could feel more like a local than a tourist. As someone who values routine in my daily life, I quickly figured out the time in the morning that I needed to leave at so I could make it to class or work without worrying about running late. The last thing I wanted was to not have enough time and be rushed where I forgot to bring something!
The second thing I realized was that study abroad’s exhausting! Having full days of class or internship every day and then travelling on the weekends made me want to sleep for days after my first weekend away. I was always told how tiring it is to travel, but I had never gone to a different country for the weekend, usually I just drove somewhere at home or flew to a different state – I now had to adjust to a different language, surroundings, and culture. I travelled to 3 new international cities in my first five weeks in London. I knew after my third country I would need to take care of myself and have a weekend in London, allowing me to explore different parts of the city and let myself sleep!
I think when I was travelling on the weekends the first few weeks abroad, it hit me that woah – I’m actually abroad! The feeling really sunk in that I was living the study abroad life, living in London with my daily routine and taking advantage of London’s position in Europe by travelling around on the weekends. I suddenly realized that I have the chance to explore Europe – something I hope I’ll be able to do again – and that I should take advantage of that!
I have to say, when I came to London, it wasn’t much of a culture shock to me since I had travelled here before. Certain things like commuting only by public transportation or having to do a conversion in my head to know how much I’m really paying were adjustments, but I wouldn’t necessarily call them a shock. In my first few weeks here, I have learned how to adjust to the culture and way of life here, and I’m excited to discover new things!