As a journalism student this pains me to admit, but who doesn't love a good internet list? So, without further ado I present to you...
Five Things I Love About London (So Far)
And One Thing I Don't
For God's sake England, why are there no Targets here yet???
Five Things I Love About London (So Far)
- Parks & Gardens- There is little I love more than sunning myself outside with a good book (or, these days, a Psychology text book), and I feel that the people of London are kindred spirits with me on this one. No matter where I am in the city, I feel like I am never further than 10 minutes away from some park benches & people watching, a fact that makes a 3 hour chunk in between my Monday lectures a little more bearable. On my street alone, there are two parks (one with coffee in it). I love being able to have some open spaces and green, green grass right in the heart of the city: it's the best of both worlds. A plus is that parkgoers never put their dogs on leashes, so my opportunities to make canine friends are endless.
- Markets- Alright, so far I'm still a market newbie. I have plans-big plans- to eat my way through all of them. What I love most is that a lot of them are open 6 days a week, leaving me plenty of opportunity to get that Burlington Farmer's Market feeling all the time (I will even tell you that Camden's food puts the BTV to shame, something I thought I would never say). There is so much variety & culture at the markets, and I love when people come out to share a little bit of themselves with everyone else.
- Big City, Big Coincidences- London is quite a big place: look at a map, look at the boroughs, look at the neighborhoods IN the boroughs. However, what I've noticed is that it really is still a small world. Where I have most of my classes? Oh, it's just next to the BBC where world news and Radio 1 broadcast from, near that hotel Lady Gaga stays at when she comes to town. You know, on Regent Street, home to some of London's most famous shopping. I'm constantly finding myself amazed that I just get to LIVE among these places. It's unreal, and makes me feel much cooler than I've any right to.
- Being a novelty- In America, should you run into a British person, it is like Prince Harry himself traveled across the pond to grace you with his presence. And since I've been here, I've learned a little secret: it works both ways. I've had people in my classes want to talk to me purely because I'm American, and have met some great new friends because of it (I'm still hoping the way I say "aluminum" distracts them long enough so no one realizes I'm not that fascinating). I've gotten my first text messages with x's at the end, and have spent an entire lunch break explaining the sad reality of the American college system. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't cool to be fawned over a little bit.
- Not being "over it"- The other day I was standing on the South Bank waiting for a shuttle boat, with Big Ben in front of me, and the London Eye behind me. I turned to a group of girls I was with and asked "do you think you ever just...get over that?" Luckily, they all knew what I meant, and we agreed that no, you don't. I can't really explain the feeling I get every time I see that damn clock and realize where I am, but I can promise you that it's much too soppy to describe on an internet list.
And One Thing I Don't
For God's sake England, why are there no Targets here yet???