My first week in London has flown by! Slowly but surely I’m memorizing the tube stops and different lines, I’m remembering more names in a short time span than imaginable, and I’m doing more walking in one day than I would do in an entire week at Stonehill!

After arriving last Wednesday morning, we were brought to our Arcadia orientation at the Thistle Hotel which was just down the street from the Euston tube stop. There, students studying across the UK met for a preliminary orientation to the general culture and ways before departing for our individual schools. Surprisingly, a lot of Stonehill students were there, but most I had never hung out with before. It was nice to have familiar faces but new personalities. During orientation we had the usual meetings, advice, and safety precautions necessary for our stay in the UK. Additionally, we had tons of free time to start exploring the city. I joined a group of University of Westminster girls and a couple guys going to SOAS and York when they went out exploring the city but sadly most of them are on the main campus of Westminster. (I’ll talk about that later). Aside from meetings and complimentary breakfast (!), we attended the show Spamalot in the West End, rode the London Eye, and visited the Borough Market. A couple of us even climbed all 450 some odd steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Oh man, my legs were tense for days after that in addition to all the miles I’ve been walking! Both the Eye and St. Paul’s were a great way to get a bird’s eye view of the city – a city that I will be spending five and a half months in. That is still so surreal. Then we meet up with others and continued exploring and walked past the Globe Theatre, the Tate, London Bridge, and Tower Bridge. It is ridiculous how I was feet away from buildings that I have studied and seen so many photographs of. Just incredible.

Saturday we all moved into our university housing. I’m living up at the Harrow Campus, a suburban area that is about a 20-30 minute tube ride away from central London. We each have single rooms with our own bathrooms, but so far the other residents of my suite/flat don’t seem to friendly and welcoming. That was rough the first couple days. Most of the friends I met live in the central London halls. So there I was, out in Harrow, in a room by myself, with loud yet distancing neighbors. The first couple days were rough. I knew a few people in the area but I didn’t really see them as people I wanted to constantly hang out with. I tried to get out as much as possible and explore the town which always kept my mind busy. Monday we had the University of Westminster orientation and a Stonehill mixer-esqe party sponsored by the University at night. There I was able to meet some other Harrow students who are great! I’m so happy about that. Since classes don’t start until next Monday, we’ve had the week to get used to the area and explore. With them I’ve gone grocery shopping, into the city, and have just hung around. Every day is getting better!

Yesterday I met up with Sara Chm, a Stonehill friend who is doing an internship in London. When she went through immigration the officers gave her the wrong stamp on her passport; thus, she had to leave the country in order to get another one. So she wouldn’t have to go on her adventure alone, I spent a day traveling with her yesterday. We traveled by means of the tube, train, bus, and ferry in addition to walking. I was great to spend time and share endless stories with a friend from home. On the train ride to Dover, a port in Southeast England, we were able to see some of the country side. Then we crossed the Channel by means of a ferry to the French town of Calais all to get a stamp for her passport! Granted I didn’t really see anything, now I can say I’ve been to France!

Each day is filled with something new, just the way it should be. After my meeting today I visited the Tate Modern. First of all it was huge! I couldn’t see everything at once, a lot of which I had studied this past semester in my Art Since 1945 class. It’s a good thing that I can easily go back because all of the museums are free!

For now, I’ll end with a small England tidbit. No one says “God bless you” when you sneeze. I tend to sneeze a lot so it is kind of odd. It’s just one of many London quirks.