London Week 13

Lexie Palasciano checks in weekly from her study abroad semester in London; catch up with her every Friday on Trazee Travel.

From New Jersey to England, culture shock definitely was rampant from the moment I stepped off the plane at Heathrow four months ago. Escaping the Yankee hustle for the British “go with the flow” mentality, here are just a few things I’ve learned in my time across the pond.

English is Not English

From terrapins to pudding to rubbish and more, thinking I wouldn’t have the trouble of a language barrier while studying abroad was definitely an oversight. While on the plus side, living with Brits suddenly made everything I say “brilliant,” but slang like quid and torch sometimes made asking where something is in Sainsbury’s much more difficult.

Never Try to Catch a Flight with Less Than Two Hours at the Airport.

Coming from a small town with one terminal and five gates, the idea of getting to an airport any earlier than 90 minutes before takeoff was unfathomable. But after sprinting for a flight to Berlin and jumping on just as the doors were closing, I learned the hard way to always arrive at least two hours before my flight (especially for low-fare companies).

The Dollar to Pound Conversion Rate is Terrible

Living in London basically means agreeing to throw a third of your money away every time you go to the ATM. With 66 pence to every American dollar, studying in London means living like a “college kid” in a whole new sense.

Tube > Subway

With a million lines and a student Oyster Card, public transportation across the pond is the easiest and most affordable. From the National Rail to the DLR, Tube and more, London definitely takes the prize for the most refined and easy transport system around.

Porridge is Not Oatmeal

I promise it is not. And while may family still doesn’t believe me and laughs every time I talk about the “porridge” I had for breakfast, this breakfast staple is something I will miss long after returning to the States.

Germany Rules the Christmas Markets of Europe

But best of all, living in London has shown me how truly magical Christmas can be. With no turkey day stealing the spotlight in November, Christmas starts well before December in England. With markets selling mulled wine and minced pies everywhere from the Tate Modern Market to Greenwich Park, no where does Christmas better than London.

There are No Friends like Abroad Friends

From spending every minute together in foreign lands with unknown languages to getting lost on the metro, the most important thing I have learned is that abroad friends make the best friends. Something about climbing volcanoes, escaping wild reindeer attacks and traveling through every airport and every city in Europe has made a semester abroad the best four months of my life with friendships that will last a lifetime.