London: Living like a Local

These past two weeks have been my first glimpse of routine here in London. Between classes, my internship and an abnormal amount of grocery shopping, I’m slowly but surely learning my way around this city. I’ve been eager to figure out a routine so that I can feel a little more established and comfortable with my day to day life.

Intern Life

I started my internship two weeks ago and have been loving every minute of it! I was anxious heading to work for my first day, but as soon as I walked in, I was welcomed with open arms and big smiles by coworkers who could not have been more excited to have me. The office space is unmatched. Floor to ceiling windows with a beautiful view of the city, an open floor plan with a collaborative workspace and modern furnishings accented with luscious greenery. The location could not have been more ideal, right in the heart of Shoreditch, a trendy, hipster hotspot with delicious food and lots of shopping.

I am interning for a fashion and consumer lifestyle public relations agency, so I am fortunate enough to be gaining experience in different industry emphases. So far, I’ve been tasked with creating graphics for email subscriptions, client-based media research audits , creating celebrity/influencer gifting lists for various clients, and writing blog posts to introduce new campaigns (fitting right?). I am already learning so much about agency-side PR and am excited for the tasks to come. The work culture here is VERY different. Different in a good way though, I love it. It’s laid back and social, but not in any way you’d expect. Transitioning from work culture here to the work culture back in the states will not be fun.

Student Life

What I love about being a student abroad is that almost every class time is used to explore a new area or attraction. In only two weeks, I’ve visited Borough Market, the British Museum and Greenwich in place of class time. I recently was given an open-ended project on Borough Market where I could take either a journalism or strategic communication route to present on a topic involving the market. I choose to research/present on sustainability at Borough Market. I interviewed traders at the market, and found some amazing stories. It’s incredible to hear people’s back-stories from around the world – a unique experience to say the least.

I’ve found some neat coffee shops/hotel workspaces to study in for a change of scenery. There are tons of WFH spaces throughout London, so I’m hoping to hop around as much as I can to explore different neighborhoods.

London Livin’

Transportation

I wouldn’t go as far to say I’m a pro with public transportation yet, but I’m getting there. For some reason my commute to work is seamless, but I mess up my commute home almost every time. It’s literally the same route but backwards and in the dark, but for some reason I always manage to get turned around. Hopefully I’ll have made progress on my nighttime navigational skills the next time we talk.

UBER BOAT. What a concept. We hopped on a boat from Greenwich to London Bridge and rode past the lit up sky line of the Financial District and breathtaking Tower Bridge. Truly felt like a main character moment.

Foodie

Since being here, I have really channeled my inner foodie. If you know me, then you’d know that I’m not necessarily a “picky” eater, but I’m kind of a picky eater. Confusing, I know. I have tried Indian, Thai and Greek food but have also quite literally eaten everything I’ve laid my eyes on. The food here is AMAZING. I’ve experimented with the traditional fish & chips a few times now, and they’re good, but also kind of like glorified fish sticks with mediocre fries.

I have a new obsession with baguettes. The obsession has the potential to become dangerous, but don’t worry, I’m monitoring it closely.

Brick Lane

This past weekend we spent a day on Brick Lane, vintage shopping and street-vendor tasting. I loved looking through everything. Everyone on Brick Lane was trendy in their own way, it’s truly an outlet for you to express your most candid self.

It’s crazy to me how obsessed with American sports/universities the Brits are. Every shop had vintage college, NFL, Nascar, MLB and MBA garments. There was even a cheerleading section with national champion sweatshirts/jackets that I probably could have pulled out of our storage unit at home.

I loved this day and am excited to go back once the weather warms up.

Cheers to the adventures ahead!