UCLA Study Abroad | International Education Office | England

By Michelle Lin

After months of anticipation, saving money, and reading all about Meghan Markle, I’m finally here in the beautiful city of London! It’s still hard for me to believe, but I will be spending the next four months here in the UC Center London Arts, Politics, Society & Space program. This program consists entirely of UC students, and is coordinated by the ACCENT London Study Center.

The first few days were mainly marked by housing, academics, and life in London orientation sessions and exploring the area we live in, Bloomsbury. Although Bloomsbury is quieter and less crowded than other parts of London, its streets are brimming with coffee shops, book stores, restaurants, and clothing stores, which much to explore and see.

I had expected to feel very overwhelmed and out of place in London since I’d never been to Europe before, but the transition and assimilation has been surprisingly easy. Because there are so many American stores and since everything is in English, London isn’t as foreign and intimidating as I thought it’d be. To me, it is the perfect balance between foreign and familiar- new and unfamiliar components such as unrefrigerated eggs in grocery stores and downpours of rain that come out of nowhere, intermixed with recognizable and comforting sights such as Starbucks and Priuses.

The fact that I was in London fully hit me when our program went on a 2 hour bus tour of the city. I didn’t realize how big and how diverse London was until I saw all of it with my own eyes on this tour, and loved seeing old historical buildings interwoven with sleek modern high rises. Seeing the House of Parliament, the London Bridge, and Westminster Abbey from the top of a double decker bus that was driving in the left lane while listening to a British tour guide was an ineffable experience.

This feeling continued throughout the weekend as I explored more of London with my four flatmates. We were lucky enough to be met with a fair and sunny day at the London Eye, getting a clear 360 degree aerial view of the city.

So far, some of the classic British foods I’ve been able to try are fish and chips, meat pie, and scones with clotted cream. The scones here are closer to American biscuits as opposed to the scones that we’re used to, and are absolutely delicious.

These first few days were marked with battling jetlag, relying on Google Maps, and easing into day-to-day life. Some of my favorite moments so far have come from simply wandering around the streets of Bloomsbury, taking in all of the sights of intricate architecture and the lilting sounds of British accents. The past few days have been a testament to how big and beautiful this world is, and how fortunate I am to be able to see more of it. As I think about what I’d like the next four months to entail, I hope to not only explore and experience as much as I can, but also to make London my home.