Hi everyone! I just finished up my fifth week in London!  I have finally felt like I am settling into my routine and culture here, but when I first got to London, I felt totally out of place.

One cultural difference that I had to adjust to would be the long commute to work. At school, it’s only a 5–10 minute walk to classes. To get to work here, it is about 50 minutes between walking and the tube. Although the commute can be long, I have learned to enjoy my time on the tube with the other commuters. A lot of people keep to themselves during the commute, and I have learned to enjoy this quiet time in the morning.

Another thing about their culture that is different from what I imagined is how casual my workplace is. I have always thought that most companies dressed in business casual or business professional, which is something I had to adjust to when I got here. I work for a small company that is more casual than I expected. The way the team speaks and dresses is more welcoming and less intimidating than I thought the business culture to be. In addition, during my field sales, most of the managers I talk to are also very welcoming. This has made it easier for me to adjust to my internship.

A social cultural aspect that I have related to is their love for soccer, known as football. I have loved playing and watching soccer growing up, and it is awesome to see that culture here. I am lucky enough to be in London for the end of the Premier League and the World Cup. Going and watching these matches has been a highlight of my study abroad. There are so many cool places that are constantly showing the games, making it easy to be social after work or during the weekend.

Lastly, the hardest thing for me to adjust to is the difference in phrases and accents. There have been some conversations where I’ve had to ask someone to repeat themselves. There are also some phrases that are much different from what I am used to in America. For example, they call fries “chips”, which I find interesting.

There have been some hard adjustments, but after five weeks I am finally starting to get the hang of it. This last week is going to fly by, so check in to see my last post! Cheers!