Well, folks, this marks the final installment of Rae in London.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading every single word. I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and to wrap things up nicely, I wanted to share the seven British habits that deserve to come back to New England with me. No revolutions necessary.
- Drinking Tea
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Now, I’d be lying if I said studying abroad didn’t make me start drinking coffee. Sometimes. And only in sugary equivalents like mochas and dirty iced chais (those things are magical, shoutout Gail’s). Wait a second, does Gail’s exist in the US? That can be added to this list in spirit.
But a good English breakfast tea with milk and honey really does hit the spot. My coworkers would offer to make me tea sometimes, and I always took them up on it. I know it’s a bit more of a stereotype than in real life, but I love the idea of having a nice cup of tea in the afternoon with some cute little biscuits and scones. What a life.
- Trench Coats
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In Boston, I wear my leather jacket all the time, year-round, even. Here, it’s mainly sitting in my closet. That’s because the trench, that floor-sweeping, stainable tan beauty, is the staple in every person’s wardrobe on this side of the pond. I feel so chic, so city. I know they exist in Boston, but not anywhere near this density.
The only real downside is that it is arguably too thin to wear in any real cold temperatures. That’s when I have to gaslight myself with a scarf and layers. I may have to hold off on this one until the freezing Boston temperatures ease up in the spring.
- Pretending The Rain Doesn’t Bother Me
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Now this is a funny one, because Londoners tend to think that they have it the worst, ever. They clearly haven’t experienced the CDS wind tunnel, because my cheap (actually wildly overpriced) umbrella is somehow still intact here. The sheer indifference to the miserable weather is something I’d like to take back to Boston with me, though.
- Fare Caps
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Well, clearly, I myself cannot do anything about this one, but I really wish Boston would get on board. On the Tube, your daily fare caps so you pay about $10 a day for unlimited travel. Is it still weirdly expensive? Yes. But is it nice if you have to do a bunch of little journeys? Also yes.
If they are really enforcing the T fares, I could see this making students a lot less angry about being charged for menial Comm. Ave. travel.
- Spelling things with unnecessary “U”s
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I started complying with the strange British spellings as a joke, and then to fit in with my internship coworkers. I didn’t want any clients to be like “ew, American” when I emailed them.
But now… I am ashamed to say it’s turned into a bit of a habit. Colour. Centre. Paediatric. Programme. I can’t stop. I won’t stop. Okay, maybe I will stop eventually. But it’s fun!
- The Word “Bespoke”
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This word is everywhere. It’s part of the mission statement of my internship organization, and I had to Google it immediately to not make a fool of myself during my interview. What if they asked me to define it?
It’s basically an unnecessary way to say personalized, but it’s the adjective of choice over here for literally every tailor, cleaning service, even the occasional film production company, you name it. There should be a drinking game where you go on the Google Maps street view and take a shot every time you see a business sign with “bespoke” on it.
Still, it’s hilarious, and I will be incorporating this into my everyday vocabulary for sure.
- Walking straight down the middle of the sidewalk
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You’d think that driving on the left means walking on the left, right? Nope. Apparently, nobody thought that hard about it, and everyone just walks wherever they want.
It started as chaotic and confusing, stayed that way, and now it’s kind of a power move. What if I use this to inspire one of those acts of microfeminism, like not getting out of men’s way? What if I assert my dominance on Comm. Ave. and all those puny freshmen plow into me? It could be a fun way to bring some European charm back to America.
All jokes aside, studying abroad has exposed me to so many wonderful people and places, and I could not have imagined a better way to begin my junior year. COM students, you have to do an internship, so why not do it abroad? It’s overall cheaper tuition, will look really cool on your resume, and is a great conversation starter. I highly recommend it!
See you in Boston!
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