Living in London and Blunders in Bath
“When a man is bored of London, he is bored of life.”- Samuel Johnson
Well, I’m an equal opportunist so that statement goes out to the ladies too. I’ve officially been in London a week, and I can certainly say I am not bored. In my first week I’ve seen a West-End show, explored museums, eaten an English breakfast, wondered through Convent Garden, and traveled across the English landscape to Bath, England! Oh, and of course I successfully completed orientation (it is STUDY abroad after all!)
Born and raised in rural Maryland, living in a cosmopolitan city offers so many different opportunities to back home. Culture? Just pick any of the museums in London (A number are free to accommodate the student budget.) Hungry? Pick from hundreds of pubs, coffee shops, grocery stores, and restaurants of about every culture without having take a taxi ride. Nothing to do tonight? Head down to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square for a theater ticket at discount prices that are less than a t-shirt. Need a T-shirt? There are hundreds of retail stores on Oxford Street alone, and a number of individual markets throughout London that allow for really unique finds.
There have been a few snags in my first week. As previously mentioned, I choose to go to Bath, England during my first weekend. Bath is a historical town about 2.5 hours outside of London, with Roman ruins that date back to over 2,000 years ago. I’m very fortunate to be studying in London at the same time as one of my best friends, so we bought bus tickets and planned a getaway. We evidently did not plan well enough. After a miscommunication of where we would be meeting, we missed our bus and had to spend money on another one. Then once we got Bath, we realized the bus dropped us nearly a mile out of town, and we had to walk into town in the rain. Regardless, we both still had a wonderful time; we visited the Roman Baths, Jane Austen Center, Victoria Art Gallery, and Fashion Museum. I’ll never forget wondering around Bath with her huddled under the streetlights with our only guide being our Jane Austen Center tour map.
Overall, being in London has been an adjustment. There are so many opportunities to explore being here, but there are also more adventures to be had out the city as well. I’m also learning it’s okay to make mistakes! A friend told me that while on study abroad, the mistakes you make often lead to the best stories, and while I don’t suggest missing your bus, we now know Bath so well that we no longer need that Jane Austen map.
Exploring the Thames at night!
The Roman Baths
At Bath
