Adjusting to life as a Londoner has been nothing like I could have imagined. In a city of nine million people, I often find myself astounded that I ended up here. In the most diverse city in the world, I do not find it difficult “fitting in.” Immediately when I step outside my apartment, I hear dozens of accents and a handful of different languages being spewed at any moment. With a Middle Eastern grocery store just one block away, I feel right at home in West Kensington.

My neighborhood is constantly buzzing with London locals and passersby’s. Just within the first mile of my street, we have many grocery stores like the Co-op, Waitrose, and a couple Middle Eastern grocers. There are countless coffee shops, counter-style restaurants, and independent eateries. About a mile away from my flat is Normand Park where I frequent on weekdays after work or on a sunny morning. This park has become apart of my comfort routine, offering me green space of tranquility, outdoor workout equipment, and benches to laze in the sun. You can find me at the park reading, listening to music, or calling my family/friends. I also love to explore the surrounding streets without a map, stumbling upon new sights each time. So far, I’ve found a cute cafe (Popin), a boujee tennis arena (Queen’s Club), and Mahatma Gandhi’s blue plaque from his law school residency in 1931.

I live with one roommate in our quaint little flat. We are getting on well and have a lot in common. We both enjoy reading books, water color painting, and exploring new parts of London. Compared to America, everything in London is way less excessive. For instance, we have “half” a fridge and freezer. We have a compact washer/dryer unit in our kitchen. We have no dishwasher and a smaller than average stove/oven. At first, it was a bit jarring to scale down: I was worried if I would have enough space for food, my laundry, etc. Thus far, we have had no problems adjusting and I actually prefer this lifestyle now. I don’t feel the pressure to fill up empty spaces or storage, as I might in the U.S.

My class schedule has certainly been an adjustment; going from 50 minute classes to 3.5 hour classes was a huge change. However, my professors here are passionate, kind, and interesting people. They make the subjects so engaging and I believe they have a lot of knowledge and wisdom to bestow us. Given they are both globally versed, I feel like this is a truly unique educational experience I am getting abroad.

Having just wrapped my first week here, I can thoroughly say I am enjoying interning at Luxuriate Life Magazine. My role, so far, pertains to creating and editing articles for their digital magazine. I essentially compile PR releases, company media, and write-ups of different companies, businesses, and products to publish on our page. We mostly work with brands in the luxury industry; travel, cruises, lifestyle, beauty, hospitality, restaurants, etc. I enjoy reading about the different travel adventures and restaurant launches happening in London and the world.