London is an incredible city and with 80 built-in friends, it is a very safe one at that. My initial impression of the global business program thus far is that it is an amazing opportunity to see the city with a little more structure than other study abroad trips. By having a planned thing every day, minus the art and cultural days, the pressure of figuring out what to do is lifted. The group photo posted was taken during our four-hour bike tour of London which allowed us to see so many highlights of London as it is a very big city. During this ride, we were able to see Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and other famous locations. In the few days I have been here, I like London much more than I would have initially expected. Every building that you are in has a history to it, that we don’t see in the US, and buildings are only considered old after 1000 years. The three company visits to Design Bridge and Partners, Chelsea Football Club, and Lloyds of London have all been amazing experiences where I have learned so much. Being able to see how companies are run on the other side of the world, you realize that there isn’t that much of a difference, they just have older buildings. I am hoping to gain the experience of being able to interact with other businessmen and women from different countries so that I know the proper procedures for future use. Currently, there is not much of a difference as we are still in an English-speaking country, but I am excited for the other countries with different languages. One difference I see between London and the USA is that meals are more reserved and formal in London. There are not many eat-on-the-go places and the majority like to sit down and have a nice meal. This can either be due to the long history that London has or that Americans are known for always being on the go.
