London, apart from being on the other side of the ocean, has a weirdly similar setup to Pittsburgh: cities built alongside a river, known for their iconic bridges, and very passionate about their local sports teams!
My favorite part about Whitechapel, my new neighborhood, has been the location. Although everywhere in London is easily accessible with their local transport, where I live is walking distance from The Tower of London and Tower Bridge, along with the financial district, ensuring that there is always something to do! I also enjoy being very centrally located between where school is and where my internship is. The journey to find my favorite coffee place has definitely been a struggle, but I think I’ve finally found it, and it’s right next to my internship: Temptations coffee iced Vanilla latte, if anyone is interested! Small things like this have been making London feel more like home: exploring the different food options in the boroughs and finding the best grocery stores. I’ll be totally honest, the adjustment was not easy at first. I found the time difference to be very tough the first week since we were non-stop with orientations and tours organized through CAPA. While very fun to keep active during the first few days, it was exhausting, especially while adjusting to the time difference. I did feel right at home in Passyunk Avenue – a chain of Philadelphia sports-themed bars! Even their wifi password was NickFolesMVP – love to see Philly represented internationally.
One of my favorite parts about London so far has been exploring the West End. I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere of the theatre and the incredible talent of the actors. I have gotten the chance to see three shows so far: Moulin Rouge, Les Misérables, and The Great Gatsby. All three were fantastic, but Les Misérables is a classic and my all-time favorite. One thing about the food in London is that there is a spot for every type of cuisine imaginable. I got to try out Leong’s Legend in Chinatown (in the West End), which was so delicious!
The opportunity to intern in London was the primary factor that drew me to this program. I am so incredibly lucky with my placement and have been learning so much during the past three weeks. I am interning with Community Advice in the Highbury Corner Magistrates Court. Community Advice is a charity based in the court that provides practical and emotional support to any court user. Working in such a high-intensity and highly strung environment is something new to me. It can feel very heavy a lot of the time, working on the front line with people who have been so affected by the judicial system. However, being exposed to this environment is making me feel more comfortable in my plans to enter the legal world in the future. One of my regular tasks is attending trials for our clients when they ask us to. Just from being there, I’ve learned more than I ever could from a textbook or a lecture. I get to hear legal terms in action and see how they actually play out in court. It’s been rewarding to watch solicitors apply the things I’ve studied over the past few years and to make those real-world connections.
I am so excited to continue living in London for these last three weeks and to continue exploring all it has to offer!
