I am not from London in the sense I was born here, or in the sense that I grew up here, but it is here that I am happiest.
When people ask me where I am from, I tell them I am from London. Sometimes this is because I’m telling Americans and being specific would only confuse them with town names they do not know, but mostly it’s because I never have any plans to leave after my degree is over. London is a place like nowhere else in the country, one that tends to polarise people; either you love the city, or you hate it, but I am definitely in the former category. Where else can you get wherever you need to go via public transport, perfect for someone like me who can’t drive, or find a club or organisation for every interest you could possibly want to pursue? I can walk to breakfast past the Globe Theatre, or to a lecture next to Somerset House. History is everywhere here.
The biggest complaint I see about London is that the people aren’t always the friendliest. And it’s true that we so often have places to be and don’t want to dawdle on a pavement, or that we don’t like to smile at strangers on public transport when we just want to get to work. But that doesn’t mean Londoners aren’t good people – just wait for a protest against Trump, or a Pride Parade. This is a centre of hope and a convergent point for people who have something important to say that no one is yet listening to. It’s made a great many amazing people we still remember today, building them up through its cobbled streets, free museums, and wild history. It’s still inspiring writers and artists, the setting of so many novels, films and artworks, and it will go on to do so for as long as it stands.
There’s never a shortage of things to do in London. If I’m not at the theatre, I’m at a convention at the Excel station, or watching passersby in Trafalgar Square. We’ve made countless articles here at Her Campus KCL listing things to do in London, and we could make countless more. Studying here will definitely never result in boredom.
London might not be where I was born or raised, but it’s where I became the happiest I have ever been – so I’m from London, in case anyone ever wants to know.