Navigating and adapting to London has not been as hard as I thought it would’ve been. From classes to working alongside locals at Rays of Sunshine, it is a fun experience I am glad to be a part of. However, even though it has not been too hard assimilating to London life, there are still some challenging parts. 

After 5 weeks of working here, I have learned many interesting ways British people work and communicate. Firstly, they are overly kind. My boss asks me every 15-30 minutes if I am okay or if I would like a cup of tea. Back home, it is not like this. We usually arrive at the office, get our work done, and then go home. However, at Rays of Sunshine, I tend to catch myself having long conversations about what our interests are and what I did over the weekend. At first, it was new to me, but after being in London for quite some time, I have adjusted and appreciated this style of communication 

Additionally, classes in London are a lot different than back in Pittsburgh. I am used to studying and attending classes every day while being stuck in the library all day long, however, the classes in London are almost the opposite for me. I only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing me to be able to focus on my internship on the other days. It was difficult at first trying to figure out a schedule that balanced my school and work, but being here for over a month has helped a lot. 

At school back home, I am around a 10-minute drive from my parent’s house. Growing up in Pittsburgh and then attending Pitt has never been planned, however, being close to home while going to college has always been helpful. I have never lived more than a quick drive from my family, therefore, moving to London has been a huge change. However, since I live on campus back at Pitt, learning how to be independent has not been too difficult. Being across the ocean and having to live in a country that is different than my culture back home is fun to learn and navigate. I enjoy taking the Tube to new places by myself and exploring new parts of the city. Though I have gotten lost on the Tube a couple of times, the people here are always kind to direct me and give me helpful instructions on how to get to my destination. 

After living in London for almost a month and a half now, I have learned so much about the people and their city. I am excited to see what the future holds!