I've touched down in London Town!
There's really nothing quite like experiencing a foreign country for the first time when flying solo. The moment I stepped foot in Heathrow Airport, I noticed how different the world around me truly was. I was mesmerized by the small but strange differences that I could point out from UK to US. They were the silliest things that caught me off guard, like "toilets" and "lifts" signs, or the chocolates and candies on the shelves of the convenient store right next to the gate. Going through customs took me an hour long, so of course I eagerly bought some sweets.
The first thing I did when getting off the plane was buy a UK SIM card for my phone. I had previously unlocked my phone before flying over, but this was a necessity in order to get ahold of my ride. I just bought one in a cute little vending machine for £30. Cha-ching! That was my first UK purchase...
The flat through my FIE program is located in the heart of South Kensington, the most posh area of London -- I love it. When I arrived at my new home, I had two large suitcases. I was assigned a flat on the fifth floor, and there was no lift. Go figure... (Keep in mind: I just had a 7 hour flight overnight, and I felt completely restless). Surprisingly, I made it to the top without dying and prepared to meet my fellow roomies. There are 8 of us students from U of A participating in the program: 4 girls & 4 guys. I knew Julia from before because of the program, but had briefly met the other 7.
Being in London for only a few hours at this point, our group decided to make the most of our first bonding moment to participate in the most iconic Brit thing to do: hit the pubs. It was so much fun and was a great start to a great summer. Another "first timer" moment that we all experienced was a nice evening at Nando's. All I know is that Brits love Nando's, so it was a must-try on my summer bucket list. I was impressed and had my very first taste of the infamous Peri-Peri sauce on some yummy chicken! (The photo below is of Julia & I)
There's really nothing quite like experiencing a foreign country for the first time when flying solo. The moment I stepped foot in Heathrow Airport, I noticed how different the world around me truly was. I was mesmerized by the small but strange differences that I could point out from UK to US. They were the silliest things that caught me off guard, like "toilets" and "lifts" signs, or the chocolates and candies on the shelves of the convenient store right next to the gate. Going through customs took me an hour long, so of course I eagerly bought some sweets.
The flat through my FIE program is located in the heart of South Kensington, the most posh area of London -- I love it. When I arrived at my new home, I had two large suitcases. I was assigned a flat on the fifth floor, and there was no lift. Go figure... (Keep in mind: I just had a 7 hour flight overnight, and I felt completely restless). Surprisingly, I made it to the top without dying and prepared to meet my fellow roomies. There are 8 of us students from U of A participating in the program: 4 girls & 4 guys. I knew Julia from before because of the program, but had briefly met the other 7.
CHEERS!
xoxo
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