I believe the most significant takeaway from studying abroad is adaptability. You are moving to an entirely new country, with unfamiliar people and a new cultural environment and are expected to live your normal life there. In my experience, I think we are forced to adapt quickly, with only a three-day grace period before classes and internships begin. Six weeks have been a bit awkward in terms of timing. As you finally feel adjusted to the London lifestyle, you are then unfortunately forced to say your goodbyes!
Buckingham Palace
Upon moving here, I felt that London reminded me a lot of New York City in a way. The hustle and bustle of people from all over the world coming to the city, honking horns, and impatient walkers (myself included). The true cultural difference lies when you look beyond the tall buildings, into the people and their respect for structure and tradition. This is one of the things I enjoyed the most about the culture here. There is loads of history in the city of London, with history comes tradition, and that became super evident during my time here. During the working days, the 9 am tube is absolutely packed with men in suits and women dressed to the nines as they head off to work, but nobody speaks, to early for that, and the social battery must be charged to get through the work day. Tea time at lunch is a very social hour, but not as much as the tradition of the 5:00 pm happy hour rush. When you walk around, you won’t find a pub with an open seat or space, especially when it is warm out! “Work to live” is the mindset that people have here, and I think it positively impacts every aspect of someone’s life. The respect and honor of work-life balance here is something that I will absolutely take back with me to America.
Saint Pauls Cathedreal
Living in London has also shown me how incredibly diverse the city is: foods from every cuisine, fashion from every country, and people from every walk of life. This is something London celebrates and is highly known for, given that they are such a central location to so many countries and how connected it is to the rest of the world. With this, there are so many cross-cultural scenarios to navigate. In my experience, this has been one of the best parts about London. Every interaction I have had, even with other CEA CAPA students from different schools, everyone has been so curious about one another’s cultures and where they come from. With less than a week left in London, I am so grateful for the cultural growth and education I have gotten here!
Photo from our day trip to Brighton!