I get a text, “HURRICANE WARNING..seek shelter”. I look out the airport windows, I see a dark foggy ski, heavy rain and lightening, great. It's 15 minutes before my departure time and I hear , “Last call for passenger Jennifer Cooper”. I was finally on the plane, in the middle seat, and by then my morning sore throat had transformed into a nasty cold.
After six long and painful hours (now I know how sardines feel) I finally arrived at Heathrow Airport where I had made plans to meet one of my roommates. After waiting two hours and not finding her I had to take the tube by myself, along with two very heavy and unnecessarily over packed bags. I finally arrived to my flat, exhausted and half dead.
I decided to study abroad because I had already done so a few years ago and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I had spent an unforgettable summer in Florence, Italy, with the UNH Manchester politics and society study abroad program. This time I picked London. It was hard to choose a city because there are so many amazing places you can study in, but London seemed like the perfect diverse metropolis to explore (and Prince Henry is still available!). Best of all, this seven week program allows me to not only study, but to intern.
These first days living in London have been hectic between being sick, meeting new people, and the horrible exchange rate (I'm glad they sell ramen noodles here too). Fortunately I am sharing a flat with four other cool girls, all from different states and universities.
At first I didn't feel like I was in London, sure everyone talked in a sophisticated Downtown Abbey accent, but no, was I really here? It hit me when we took a tour of the city. I saw the real-life, 3D versions of The Big Ben, The House of Parliament and The London Eye, it was pretty sick.
But the best part of this study abroad is the internship. I am interning at a very hip (whatever that means) creative media firm. I cannot describe the feeling of working in such a creative environment, surrounded by new and unique people. This internship is clearly going to give me incredible experience in my field and obviously look great on my resume (who knew learning could be fun?). I will be working 20-hours per week. I am also taking a British Broadcasting class that's taught by an amazing professor who actually works for the BBC.
So far I'm loving London, even though I still haven't explored much of it since this city is huge! I've never heard so many languages spoken, I've never seen people dressed so beautifully, and I've never been called “love” so often. I cannot wait to travel and experience more and, of course, drink more tea, gotta love the tea.
Ps. Don't ever call your pants "pants" here. They are called trousers, pants stands for another item of clothing...google it.
