London has been so much fun! Along with exploring the surrounding areas, I have gotten to spend a lot of time in the city after classes and on my days off. After class this week I was able to see the V &A museum as well as walk around Harrods. Over the past six weeks, I have begun to adjust to British culture, but there are still a lot of things I am not used to.
One thing I love is their emphasis on a work-life balance. In the US, we tend to reward working long hours to get the job done, but that’s not the same in the UK. Our professors make sure to give us breaks during class, recommending different cafes in the area we could try out. On my days off, the markets and streets are always busy around lunch and after 5 pm, when people go out with their coworkers. Even Covent Garden, the financial district in London, is flooded with people around 5-6 pm, highlighting the city’s commitment to a work-life balance. On a similar note, my professors have tried to make sure we have time to explore London while we are here by making large parts of our grade participation and discussion-based rather than exam-heavy.
There are other smaller things I still have not adjusted to, like different words or phrases they use and how they do not have a specific side of the sidewalk they’re supposed to walk on. I’m now more used to cars driving on the left side of the road, but it still surprises me sometimes when I’m not paying attention.
Besides these small cultural differences, I’m loving London! This past weekend, my roommates and I went to the England vs. France rugby game, where we almost got to see an England upset. It was almost 90 degrees, and because they do not have air conditioning, both the trains and the stadium were really hot. Now that the weather is back to normal, though, it’s been much better!
The weekend before that, we took a weekend trip to Edinburgh! We spent Friday exploring the city – walking the royal mile, hiking Author’s Seat, and seeing the castle. Saturday, we woke up super early to take a tour of the Scottish Highlands, which was my favorite part of the entire program. We were able to see highland cows, the Harry Potter train viaduct, super cute sheep, and beautiful landscapes while our guide told us about the history of Scottland.
