I have survived my first week as a Londoner, & can say that within this short time I have already learned a lot. As I start to form a routine & discover where my place is within my study abroad program & the city of London itself, it becomes more & more apparent that I have no idea where my place actually is. Which is fine, because during this trip I don’t want to limit myself from the many experiences that could pop up!

Something that I knew would be a common sight in the city, & was very much looking forward to seeing in person, are buskers. From Ed Sheeran to Tracy Chapman, many of today’s well known artists began as buskers. As a music enthusiast, I love walking through Tube stations or down busy streets & seeing talented artists share their skills.

When strolling through Bermondsey on Sunday, a lovely busker had asked my friends & I to hang around as audience. Jokingly, I asked him if he was going to play Ed. I didn’t even need to mention Ed Sheeran’s full name & he knew exactly who I was referring to. He played two of my favorite Ed songs in succession just for me. 🙂

Aside from the music in London, another thing that I know for certain is I am one of those people who actually enjoy museums, unlike my mum who says she just can’t appreciate them no matter how hard she tries. London is a wonderful city for me to be in, considering that all museums are free!

I had the amazing opportunity to enjoy Afternoon Tea at the British Museum with some lovely gals from my program. I felt quite posh & proper, which was a nice change to my futile attempts at making oatmeal in a microwave with my roomie.

Up until this point, the majority of my time has been spent with my roommate & the girls across the hall. They’re wonderful & I enjoy their company, but I’ve also noted that it’s important to make like a tree (& leaf! That was especially for you, Mel. 🙂 ) & spread my roots everywhere. Hopefully that will encourage a well-rounded experience during my stay in London! See below for an example.

None of my roomies had signed up for Afternoon Tea (which was later resolved,) which meant I had to forge my own way. The evening ended up wonderful, as I spent it with two gals from my program that I hadn’t hung out with before, experiencing a culture I had little knowledge of. Although far from expected, it was a lovely time & had I not gone out of my comfort zone (the people I’d become familiar with) I wouldn’t have had the adventure that I did. Don’t be afraid to branch out! You do not have to spend all of your time with the same people; in fact, I hope you don’t! I love my roomies & I believe that they are becoming life long friends. Because I can foresee a a lifetime of amazing memories with them, I feel fine spending some of my time forging new friendships & experiences with other people.

One of my many goals during this trip is to find & support as many local or mom & pop businesses to experience London through the eyes of a local. Like I would back in California, if a tourist or visitor asked me where to go for coffee, rather than directing them to the nearest Starbucks, I’d send them off to Insight Coffee Roasters. When I return to London someday, I will be so glad that I curated a list of local staples to come back too. 🙂

Some of my roommates who weren’t able to go for the Afternoon Tea with the program wanted to have our own tea experience. We found this quaint little patisserie in Birmingham called Patisserie Valerie that offers an Afternoon Tea for Two. Although not as upscale as the tea I had at the British Museum, it was still a pleasant experience, most likely because I was with lovely company!

It’s only been a week yet it feels like I’ve lived in London for ages. Every day is a new & exciting adventure. I can’t wait to share more of my escapades with you!

Cheers until next time,