I’ve been studying abroad here in London for just over a month now, and I’m having the best time! I can wait to share all of my adventures abroad with you all when I get back, but for now, he’s a little of what I’ve been up to, in the form of the ABC’s of course.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is a huge part of British culture, and it’s perhaps my favorite part as well. There’s something so nice about sitting in a posh restaurant with your friends and eating from arrangements of cute finger sandwiches, scones and desserts. Please hit me up to RSVP to the afternoon tea I’m definitely hosting when I get back to Simmons.
Borough Market
I am all about food, so naturally any food market around will get me excited, and this one is one of the best, will every kind of food you can imagine within range. Bonus: Harry Potter and Bridget Jones’s Diary have both filmed on location there!
Camden Market
Only a 15 minute walk from where I live, Camden Market has become my second backyard. Complete with thrift shops, independent artists, and a market full of street food (and free samples), Camden has something for everyone.
Double Deckers
They’re such a staple of the city, and although it’s a real rough time trying to walk up stairs on a moving vehicle, the view from the top deck is exquisite.
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Exploring
London is a huge city, and I’m never short of a new neighborhood to visit. Exploring new and unique places has become one of my favorite activities, and it’s a great way to learn about culture here. Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson
Fashion Week
During my time here, I had the opportunity to volunteer at London Fashion Week! We worked backstage assisting models at the Fashion Scout show. It was such a cool experience, and I’m so thankful for every second of it.
Gloomy skies
This has been one of the downsides of my experience. Even when it isn’t supposed to rain, it usually does anyway. However, looking at this on the more positive side, no sun = no sunburns, and I get to wear my most fantastic and equally dweeby yellow raincoat.
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Harry Potter
The UK is all about Harry Potter, and I am so for it. Last week, I embraced my nerdiness to the full when I went on the official Harry Potter studio tour. They had an exhibit on every animal actor involved in the series – I guess you could say it was kind of amazing.
Indian food
Fun fact – aside from India, London is home to the best Indian food in the world! Curry and samosas alike, my heart is always happy here, and so is my stomach.
Jack the Ripper Tour
If you’re into the morbid like I am, you’ll get why this is on here. In all honestly I haven’t set out on this one, yet, but I’m not waiting much longer. It’s got all the eeriness I could hope for in a city as rich in history as this one.
King’s Cross
King’s Cross is where so many of my fun adventures have begun – from the train to Cambridge to the journey to Edinborough, the station has been such a staple in my experience thus far. Not to mention, I always get to pay a quick respect to the Hogwarts Express.
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson
London College of Fashion (LCF)
LFC is where I’ve been attending courses this semester, and it’s been an amazing experience! I love Simmons, but I’m so glad I have the opportunity to take unique courses in the industry that I’m most interested in pursuing.
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Museums
The best part about London museums is that most of them are entirely free! Especially in a city where unexpected rain is a common occurrence, the opportunity to pop into a museum for both shelter and a chance to explore is always appreciated. My personal favorite has been the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum, where there’s a large display of fashion through history, with real garments curated from as far back as the mid 1800’s.
Notting Hill
There’s a reason that Julia Roberts/Hugh Grant film is so famous. Notting Hill is as picturesque as London gets, complete with every white, Victorian styled townhouses you usually think of when you think of England.
Oxford Street
Not only is my school campus located here, but it’s a staple street in London. If you’re interested in in taking a day to shop, this is definitely the place to go. Nowhere else will you find a four-story Topshop, with no shortage of a coffee shop and nail salon inside! It definitely takes a lot of strength not to go shopping after class every day.
Portobello Road Market
Located in Notting Hill, this market has to be my favorite thus far. It’s the biggest – and weirdest (in the best way) thrift market I’ve ever been to. You can’t find a giant, pure wool coat (pictured below, for full effect) for $7 anywhere else.
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Queues
One of my favorite aspects of London is the organization. Queues (lines) are taken very seriously here, and unless you want all of the city to hate you, you will respect the queue. It’s amazing. Another amazing feature? How Londoners all know how to most efficiently use an escalator – one side is for standing, one side for walking. Talk about etiquette!
Recycling
Another favorite part about London – the major encouragement to recycle! There’s a recycling bin on just about every block, including ones for paper, plastic and even clothes and shoes. I think it’s an amazing movement, and I’d love to see the same enthusiasm for sustainability in other cities.
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is just another one of many cool and quirky neighborhoods in London. Most recent home to hipsters in London, I’ve loved walking around and into different independent bookstores, clothing stores and my newfound favorite interior design store, pictured below.
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Travel
The best part about being in Europe is that you have an easy access to a ton of other cities and countries. From Edinburgh to Copenhagen, and soon Paris, Prague, Vienna and Bratislava, I’ve gotten to visit so many exciting places!
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Underground
I practically live my life here on the underground (also known as the tube), and I already have two and a half finished novels under my belt to prove it (the Brits are always reading on the tube). It’s so easy to navigate, and with a station on practically every block in the city, can take me all over London.
Vegan food
Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m always on the hunt for the best vegan food, and London has not come to disappoint! Fun fact – London is among the top 3 vegan/vegetarian cities in all of Europe.
West End
Who needs Broadway when you have the West End? I can be such a theater geek sometimes, and having amazing shows just at my fingertips has been so exciting. We’ve big plans to see Aladdin soon, so stay tuned.
X-tremely worth it!
I’m so glad I decided to study abroad, and if you have the opportunity, I think you should, too!
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Yes to everything (except drugs)
Studying abroad is a unique experience that I won’t get to have again, so it’s important that I get as much out if it as I can. I try and say yes to every opportunity that comes my way, and I’ve been having so much fun because of it.
Photo courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.
Zones 1-6
Referring to the lovely Underground, the zones represent all the layers of land that London has to offer, and I have complete access to all of them. I’ve had the best time exploring every area that I can, and I hope you’ve had fun reading about it!
Header image courtesy of Alyssa Williamson.