Adapting to any new living situation is challenging. Adapting to living abroad in a new city with different customs than you’re used to is a whole other challenge! In London, there are a plethora of customs and cultural norms I have taken the previous 2 months to get used to, with some I have found more difficult to adapt to than others. And of course on the flip side of that, I have found other aspects of living here easy to adapt to, as well as customs others had warned me about that never presented a challenge. 

I suppose the largest adaptation I have had to make as an American is the volume at which I converse with others whilst in public. Americans are notoriously loud outside of the US, something I am very familiar with having traveled before. Even back in the US, I don’t consider myself an overly loud person. However, I have noticed in conversation with non-Americans, I find myself straining to hear what they are saying due to how quiet they speak. My family back home is loud and I don’t consider myself as loud as they are, but here I often find myself being too loud.  This is further exacerbated by thick accents at times! In my internship, this happens everyday. I spend much of my time calling clients to converse with them, and when speaking to a Scottish person on the phone… I have to spend a lot of time using context clues. 

Luckily, I haven’t experienced any ambiguity in my day to day as my studies and internship go. The work is straightforward and engaging, and if I am being frank, too easy. Not at all a bad thing however, as it has allowed me to give more time and energy to immersing myself in London’s culture. 

I’ve had a pretty great time adjusting to being on my own in London. Luckily, I have great friends back home who have put me in touch with mutual friends in London that have shown me the city, and when I am on my own I have no issue being adventurous. I like to spend my free time exploring new neighborhoods with my camera, and talking to the occasional local!