The Beginning

It's been three days since I've arrived in London and I still don't believe it is real. The city is like a fairytale. A charming, chilly city straight out of the movies. The buildings, architecture, and monuments all remind me that this truly is an old city steeped with character and charm. Living in Southwark means I have almost instant access to Westminster. Westminster is the hub of the the touristy spots that I pictured when I thought of London. Big Ben, the Parliament Building, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye are all steps away from my apartment. By steps I really mean 2 miles, which is close in this city. I'm glad I decided to exercise this summer because walking is my transportation of choice and we walk everywhere!

I didn't expect to become so enchanted by this city so quickly. London has taken a hold of me and I don't expect it to let go. The city is beautiful filled with nice people, over-priced Starbucks, and easy to use public transportation. Even the food is better than expected! Though I will think twice about buying instant coffee the next time I go to the grocery store.

In a side note, everyone told me public transportation in London was easy to use, so I was excited to try it out. Diane and I decided to go from the London Bridge back to our campus in Westminster. We looked at the subway map and decided which stop would take us closest to campus. When we got off at the Westminster stop on the Jubilee line and found ourselves at the foot of Big Ben! Seeing this often pictured building so close up was astounding, but then we realized we were still a mile away from campus. I think we still have a lot to learn, though I did manage to use the bus all by myself without a hitch.

On Thursday Diane and I head off to Oxford for the night. Next week classes begin, though I still have yet to unpack...