Four days ago, a girl who had never left the United States stepped off the plane in London, England, and I have been having the time of my life ever since. Initially, one thing has stuck out to me about London. I cannot get it out of my head how much London reminds me of New York City. Maybe it’s the public transportation system or the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus, but it all feels very familiar. I think this is why I was able to fall in love with the city so quickly.
On the other hand, I can’t help but notice some of the key differences between life here and life back home. The main thing I’ve noted is just how quiet the streets of London are. There are people walking them at all times of the day but it seems as though they never speak above a whisper. This has made me rethink my own volume several times while out and about. Along with this, is something I’ve come to learn as “Tube Etiquette.” The Tube is the name for the underground rail system that thousands of people take each day in London. My peers and I quickly noticed that the Tube is not the place to start conversations with strangers (even though we do it anyway.) Often times we would pause and realize we were the only ones talking in the entire train car. I don’t want to assume the people of London aren’t friendly but they definitely aren’t ones for small talk.
While these are only my initial impressions about London and how it compares to the U.S., I can’t wait to add more to the list. I’m hoping that this experience abroad will allow me to gain a new perspective on how people across the world live their daily lives. I’m already learning that something as small as the volume at which people talk is a part of a city’s culture.
