Kia ora everyone!
At the time of writing this I have been in London for 2 months! And wow – what a couple months it’s been! I’m halfway through the university semester (which has a total of 10 weeks instead of 12). It’s true what they say about London being the city of dreams – it’s got something for everyone. There’s so much to catch up on so i’ll keep it brief and focus on the past couple weeks!
The other week we had a ‘reading week’ which is basically a mid semester break to catch up on your readings or assignments, so there are no classes. As I had stayed on track throughout the first half of the semester, I took the opportunity to do a solo day trip to Brighton! I walked around the lanes and the cute little stores, went to the pier, sat on the beach, and even rented a bike for an hour and rode down to the undercliff walkway! Don’t get me wrong, I love London, but sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city, see a beach and slow down a bit. Plus, it only cost me around $30 return, the transport around England is amazing!
Then on the weekend I signed up for a hike with the UCL hiking club. We went to the seven sisters cliffs in Sussex, which is in between Seaford and Eastbourne on the Southern coast of England (and near Brighton actually!). It was super easy to get to, just booked a ticket and got on a train straight from London Victoria station. I was prepared not to know anyone and possibly spend most of the walk alone, but I luckily started chatting to a couple of people and spent the entire walk with them. We ended up having so much in common and they were so friendly. It reminded me that while it can be daunting to go up to strangers, it can be so rewarding!!
I’ve attached a photo of the walk below:
Yesterday I went to the Sidemen charity match. I bought tickets back in Auckland with another girl who’s also on exchange in London (we met through the 360 International program). While I’m not a diehard sidemen fan (although I do watch some of their videos), I thought it would be such a cool experience! It’s all about getting out and having fun, and as a bonus all the proceeds go to charity! Plus, we got to experience a sold out game at Wembley (England largest stadium and the 2nd largest in Europe)! It was a great game, and the atmosphere was pretty cool.
The great thing about London is that there is so much to do, and it caters for everyone. It’s been a great place for me to explore and make memories, which also helps with the homesickness. Now today I’m off to Bath with another friend from NZ. The adventures never end so I’m sure i’ll have lots to tell you about in my next blog post!