- No one cares if you’re on your own.
I went on a lot of solo trips during my time abroad. There were small things like weekly grocery shopping and picking up dinner for myself, or bigger adventures like finding a bookshop I’d heard about on Tiktok, and visiting a museum and eating lunch at a cafe alone. Before this summer, I would never even want to go to the dining hall by myself! But having the anonymity that comes with living in a big city helped me to be out on my own and feel more comfortable with independence. Of course I love being with friends so much, but I really do love being by myself sometimes, too.
- Public transportation is the way to go.
I was nervous about using the London public transportation, but it was really easy to figure out and so convenient. Especially with apps that help you plan your route, I only got a little lost once.
- Museums!
I was never a big museum-goer when I was younger, but many museums are free in London, so I spent a lot of time taking advantage of that. Being by myself was also fun because I could go where I wanted and take as much time as I wanted, too. Now museums are at the top of my list whenever I go to a city!
- Street markets are top tier.
In London it seems like there are endless options for street food, from huge complexes like Borough Market or Camden Market to smaller ones like the Southbank Centre. Everywhere you turn, there is delicious food, insane culinary inventions, and cuisines from all over the world. Plus, there’s always something sweet to eat after you finish your lunch. I’m definitely going to miss this part of living in a city like London, especially after going back to dining hall food.
Spending most of the summer in London was an incredible experience that I will treasure forever, and I cannot recommend studying abroad enough!