London, I'm In Love

The first two weeks of being here have flown by. The city is everything I had imagined it to be and more. From the historic buildings, to the cold crisp air, and the (even better in person) accents, London has amazed me in every way.

The first week of settling in and getting my whereabouts was rough, so don't be fooled when people tell you they get everything right off the bat. My biggest obstacle was the train system. In California, our public transport isn't anything close to what it's like here, and to be quite honest, it has given me a newfound appreciation for getting around without a car. Luckily, the signs and the British lady over the PA system on each train who calls out the next stops were my lifesavers. So yes, I will be honest it did take me a few days to figure out which line to take in which direction but by the first week I'd say I was a transportation queen (shoutout to uber!!)

Ok so let's talk about the real stuff like school and the dorm life...

Our school is located at the University of London where we are provided classrooms that are on their campus, yet we are taught by teachers from the colleges back home. The campus is just a short walk from the tube station (the tube journey itself takes about 35-45 minutes from the apartment) and is near some really awesome cafes and restaurants. So far I am loving school and the teachers couldn't be better.

As for the apartment... First off, I'd like to mention that our apartment can not be in a more prime location. Located in the area of Kensington and Earl's Court, the apartment is a five minute walk from the tube station and everything such as pubs, grocery stores, and some really amazing restaurants. The apartment has four floors (and a lift so yeah they lied when they said we'd have to haul our luggage up a bunch of stairs). The rooms are pretty spacious with some being singles, some having two people, and some having three people in them. The apartment itself is extremely well kept and offers some gorgeous views of the neighborhood and a park across the street (if you're lucky to get a window view like me 😛). Luckily, I found it easy for myself to feel at ease and have a sense of home.

I wasn't kidding when I said I had a beautiful view outside my window

This is the neighborhood... I mean c'mon