life in london.

Friday afternoon I left the Greensboro airport with my luggage, another girl on the program, and my bear, and I set out for London. I arrived Saturday morning a little jet lagged but incredibly excited that I was in London. The next few days were spent unpacking and grocery shopping, preparing the flat and getting to know the other twelve students on the program. I live in a flat with five other girls, and the rest of the program students live right around us. We are very close to the British Museums, which makes my walk to class really fun. I keep wandering around and having to remind myself that I am living here for the next three months.

The group took a bus tour around London on Sunday, and saw various sights that we now hope to return to. The list of things I want to do before I leave is already unbelievably long, although I am still open to suggestions.

Classes started on Tuesday and I have four classes. They are: London as a Literary Crossroads, The Food and History of London, The Museums of London, and the London Art World. All of them will involve trips around the city, getting to know the rich culture and history of the area I am living in. Next week I will start my internship at the Print Room, an art gallery for print makers. I am excited about the gallery and about having an internship that gets me out and into London in a way the classes wont.

Living here is so different than visiting. I have done some touristy things but not anywhere close to the number I did in the four days I was here a few years ago. I am exploring the city as my current residence, trying to learn my way around so that I can do it again, not just to get me from place to place one time. I know the time will fly, but it is neat to think about London as my current home, and not just a vacation spot.

It is fun to walk around and observe the life around me. There are so many people here, and not just traditional Londoners. This is a very global city, full of tourists, students and residents that come from around the continent and world. I can sit on the tube and hear accents and languages that I have never heard before. I am definitely not in small town North Carolina anymore. Hopefully soon I will feel just as comfortable walking and traveling through the city as the locals do, but until then I am enjoying exploring and keeping my map close by.