Some of the deep cultures that I wouldn’t necessarily say I identify with, I found more interesting and relaxing, were the street performances and the laid-back nature of the work life. I come from the suburbs of Philadelphia and would occasionally visit Philly. However, street performers are not prominent there, so I was never able to witness many instances of street performances. However, street and station performances are common in London. Often, while walking around, you might find someone singing or playing an instrument. No matter where I am, I always take a moment to enjoy the music. The music always brings light to the mundane everyday life in London. Another aspect of London’s culture is its willingness to give experiences to others. This may be limited to my professors, but during breaks, they would often share snacks they liked or different types of biscuits. My teachers and staff would give recommendations on places to go. One teacher even took us on a mini field trip before class to try out a restaurant he liked. In London, providing comfort to employees and students is a change from the strict work-life culture of America. These cultures helped me feel more at ease and welcomed in a big, unfamiliar city. 

The most challenging deep culture to navigate was the walking culture. One big thing that was told to me about London was to stand to the right while on the escalator. Even while in London, many of the Tube stations have signs instructing passengers to walk only on the left when entering or exiting the Tube. I thought that this would translate to walking on sidewalks; however, I was mistaken. The walking culture here is very different from that in America. Many Londoners describe their walking culture as fast-paced, even claiming that Americans don’t walk faster than they do. However, I would describe their walking culture as more chaotic than fast-paced. In America, we typically walk in the same way we drive. In London, there are no rules for the way you walk. People walking in the same direction will be on the right and left sides of the sidewalk. As someone who likes order, this caused me stress. Initially, I would often try to stick to the right side out of habit, and I would always move for the outliers who walked against the crowd. As I continued to live here, I began adapting to the chaotic movement of Londoners. I would stay on the side where I blended into the crowd and started holding my ground when people walked against the crowd.

While interacting with locals, I am becoming more resilient to the things that bothered me and adapting more easily to their ways. Because London is vastly different from American norms, we don’t apply here. At first, this caused challenges because I am a creature of habit. However, I learned that I can’t have others conform to me; instead, I need to adapt to the changes around me. One example is at restaurants, where I am accustomed to waiting for a server to do anything. However, while in London, I have to be more independent, which was a significant change, especially coming from a family where restaurant life was ingrained in me. This is just one small example, but having to adapt and change the little interactions has allowed me to be more comfortable with following a new culture’s norms.