As a student at Western, I spend eight months living in London, which also means I spend eight months away from home. Although Western is my home away from home, it’s always exciting coming back to my family and friends. But as much as I like being home (and of course, being in my bed), there are a couple of things I miss about London over our summer break.
1. The Bar Scene
Toronto has tons of great bars and clubs to go to so there’s always somewhere to go on a Friday or Saturday night. So it’s not that I miss going out, it’s that I miss the price I pay to do so. A lot of clubs charge $20 for cover alone, not to mention the prices of actual drinks or bottle service. Now take a minute and compare that with Richmond Row clubs and bars, where $20 could get me into Frog PLUS a couple of drinks, or too many beers at Jack’s on a Monday.
I also miss the bar scene in London during summer because, during the year, I can go out and know I’ll run into people I know at the bar. There’s always a crowd of familiar faces to hang out with. In Toronto, however, the number of familiar faces is smaller. But on the bright side, it’s a great way to make new friends.
2. Uber
#2 is the Ubers in London and again, this is has nothing to do with a lack of Ubers in Toronto. It’s the prices. It’s always cheaper in London to pay for an Uber, not to mention the fact that I would usually be going to the same place as other people and could share it with them. But what I am happy to have in Toronto is Uber XL (long live the mini vans).
3. The Western Friends
Summer is the time where everyone from school either goes back home or stays in London. I’m pretty lucky because a lot of my friends from Western live near me so I can easily see people. But I also have friends who live hours away or even provinces away so summer is a time where I miss them. And on top of that, it’s hard to schedule time to see everyone during the summer because of things like jobs or family get-togethers. Being in London during school makes it easy to see people and keep in touch. On the bright side, summer is the time to catch up with the family and friends from home I missed during the year.
4. Living alone
I love being home: I see my family, I sleep in my bed, and eat good home-cooked meals. But during the summer, it’s sometimes hard adjusting to life when I’m not on my own. During the school year, I have more freedom so I do things on my own schedule. I miss this in the summer, especially when if my parents start trying to schedule my life.
5. The Spoke
Anyone who knows me knows I love food. But anyone who knows me really well knows I spend a lot of my time in the Spoke. I can always find a familiar face amongst customers and I never get tired of the food. I can’t wait to continue my Spoke addiction next year!