Submitted by Anne Grae Martin on the 2015 fall semester study abroad program in London, England…
It hasn’t quite been a week yet, but it has been a whirlwind 5 days. Coming over, I had prepared myself for 3 problems: exhaustion due to jet lag, getting myself and my luggage to my flat, and finding a sim card for my phone. The first anticipated problem turned out to be a non-issue. I left at 6:30 pm from PHL (Philadelphia) and got into LHR (London Heathrow) at 6:30 am. Thus, I was able to fall asleep on the plane and trick myself into thinking I had slept enough when in reality it had only been 2 hours. Second, I had to get to the flat. This also turned out to be easier than I was expecting. There were two other girls from University of Delaware who live in my flat, so we shared a cab. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to fit all of our luggage, but British taxis are amazing! The third problem, which I had anticipated as the smallest, turned out to be the most stressful. The man at the phone store was rude and not very helpful, but once I got past his attitude, we were able to sort my phone out.
Highlights of this week have been the cuisine. We have a market right next to our flat where I can buy fresh fruit and vegetables every day. There is another place next to that called “Shepherd’s Bush Yard”. Basically what this is is a converted alleyway that has been filled with tiny food stations and hanging lights. It’s very cute. I went with some of the people living in my flat. I was overjoyed to have found “Poke” (pronounced ‘po-kay’) a favorite dish of mine from my last study abroad in Hawaii. This really brought my two trips together and allowed me to talk and connect with my fellow classmates about our previous travel experience. Another food themed highlight was High Tea at the Regency Hotel. We enjoyed traditional British tea, were taught the etiquette of the event, and got to try different cakes and sandwiches. Overall, it was a delightful afternoon.
Tomorrow we start class! I am excited to get back into the swing of things (kind of). I love all of the classes I am taking this semester, so this should really be a fun semester!