My friend Morgan and I took a quick trip to London this past summer before we went off to college. We had a lot of fun, but we also learned many lessons along the way. Here are a few of the numerous lessons we learned overseas.
1. British people like American accents as much as we like their accent.
2. You will get used to telling people that you are from "The States."
3. They have probably never heard of your actual state.
4. They will ask you if you are "on holiday."
5. You have to ask where the toilet is when you want to use the bathroom
6. Many bathrooms cost money to use.
7. Listening to British people talk never gets old.
8. The hairstyles and fashion in England are so much better than in America.
Two words...David Beckham.
9. Never order a hamburger in London... it does not compare to the juicy burgers we have here.
10. Do, however, order fish and chips... you won't be disappointed.
11. They have amazing chocolate...
Aero bars won over my heart, and Cadbury chocolate is a close second...
Why are these so hard to find in America?!
12. You will most likely buy an absurd amount of "sweets."
There's nothing like bringing £70 worth of chocolate and candy back to The States!
13. Drinking tea and eating scones at Kensington Palace is marvelous.
When in doubt, pinky out!
14. I love Pimm's!
15. Only a handful of my friends back home know what Pimm's is, and the rest are missing out.
16. Being able to order drinks at bars legally at 18 never gets old.
17. The nightclubs are awesome...take me back to Mahiki.
18. Sometimes the nightclubs are too awesome and only take people with reservations...
...in which case you will wind up at a bar inside a casino...Yes, now I have a membership at Palm Beach Casino in London.
19. The tube system is your best friend....and your worst enemy.
Of course, Morgan and I arrived in England the day that a massive tube strike started...We were not informed and had no idea how to use any other form of public transportation...We were lost for hours in Piccadilly Circus (a.k.a. the Times Square of London).
20. Getting separated from your friend on the tube is one of the scariest feelings...
...especially when your phone does not work so you cannot call the police even if you needed to.
21. Taking the next train and seeing her at the next platform is such a relieving feeling
22. You will hear the words "Mind the gap between the train and the platform" about a thousand times on the tube.
23....And you will have a blast mimicking the British robot who says them
24. The only time I saw the iconic London telephone booths being used was when tourists were taking pictures with them...
...and yes, I was one of those typical, predictable tourists.
25. Touring Warner Brother Studios is even more magical than watching the Harry Potter movies themselves
26. You will get your week's workout in by walking everywhere.
Fun Fact: I walked a two-hour tour at this palace with a broken flip flop that was being held together with band-aids and a hair tie...Shout-out to Morgan for the creative innovation!
27. The double-decker buses are everywhere yet still manage to be crowded...you are lucky if you are able to sit down.
28. "Look left" and "look right" is painted on the road so tourists remember that people drive on the left in England
29. You can never take too many selfies with Big Ben
30. I will always wonder why people drive down Abbey Road because tourists walk across the famous crosswalk all day long and hold up traffic
31.The view from the London Eye never gets old...it's simply brilliant
32. The elevator (or lift as it is called) talks to you
33. Referring to soccer as "football" seems strange at first but will quickly come naturally
34. Free wifi is your best friend
35. I took more forms of public transportation in one week than I had taken my whole life.
Planes, trains, busses, Ubers, subways...you name it, I took it.
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