ONE MONTH ABROAD: LIVING IN LONDON

So it's been a month. I've done a lot. Lived a lot. Learned a lot. It has definitely been an interesting way to start my college experience. London is different than the US, but I can't tell why it's different other than the surface level stuff like everything closes early and no one has large coffees. The people are different too, but it's not really a dramatic difference.

Here are a few of my favorite things...

1. Rosa's Thai Cafe-

Rosa's has a few locations in London, and it is definitely my friends and I's favorite restaurant so far. I's the perfect easy lunch or dinner (they also do delivery which probably is a bad thing because that means I get it way too much). My favorite thing to get is the flat noodles with chicken, or if I want something spicy than I'll get the drunken noodles. The spring rolls are also really good.

2. Battersea Park-

Battersea Park, especially in the fall time, is gorgeous. Right now the leaves are turning colors and are about to start falling, so it's picture perfect. I run through the park almost everyday because it's less than a mile away and has a nice breeze from the Thames river. It's also really nice to go to with friends and play soccer or just listen to music and take a nap.

3. Weekend trips-

So far I've done a few weekend trips out of the country and around England. A weekend is all you really need in most places; it's just enough time to do the touristy stuff without being stressed about time. Flights and trains here are pretty cheap as long as you book kind of far in advance. It's hard trying to find a balance between going on weekend trips and staying in London because I want to see the rest of Europe, but I also want to do a lot in London.

4. The Markets-

Everywhere you turn in London there's a market. It doesn't matter what day of the week it is, there will be a market and there will be people at the market. In the US we have our farmers markets and if your lucky you might have an antique market, but in London they have all different types of markets. You got your flower markets, your clothing markets, your food markets, and your everything markets. So far I have only explored a few, but it is definitely on my bucket lists to see more.

Here are a few things that I miss...

1. Sommet,

Sommet is my 9 month old Great Pyrenees puppy, and also the love of my life. He's the cutest dog ever, I know. He's definitely one of the top things that I miss about home. All the dogs in London are skinny and not fluffy. Sommet is 80lbs of pure fluff. Personally I call him Nugget because he's so cute which may seem embarrassing, but if you've ever seen Sommet than you would call him that too. I'm definitely getting excited for Christmas break, so I can see him.

2. My friends (& family)

Contrary to popular belief I actually do miss the south and my family. I know a lot of people had a rough high school career, but honestly I really liked high school especially junior and senior year. I made the best friends and had a lot of great memories. I also do miss my family which if any of them are reading this they probably won't believe. It's not that I'm home sick, but I've gotten use to having them around all the time it's kind of weird being a five hour flight across the Atlantic from them.

3. Coffee

Fun fact about England, they don't do specialty coffees here. I used to get my large iced burnt sugar latte from Milk & Honey almost everyday, and it was my favorite thing. In London, your lucky if you find a place that does caramel lattes. Of course there's Starbucks, but nothing is better than going to your favorite local cafe where they know your name and getting a special cup of coffee that probably has more sugar than a Hersey bar.

THINGS I'VE DONE:

1. Stonehenge