When I was a high school senior trying to pick a college, a very important factor for me was a good study abroad program. I\u2019ve always loved seeing new places and was set on spending a semester abroad. It\u2019s a big reason why I chose Loyola. However, after further contemplation I knew I didn\u2019t want to study on a foreign Loyola campus. I think it\u2019s fantastic that Loyola makes it so easy to study abroad at one of their campus\u2019s, and I was jealous when my roommate (currently studying in Rome) had one application while I had four. However, if I was going to study abroad I wanted to go all in. I\u2019ve been at Loyola for two years, and I\u2019ll be there for another year and a half come spring. Why not experience a completely different school system and attend a foreign institution? Thanks to Loyola\u2019s incredible international program, my options were limitless. I could go anywhere. After looking into a lot of different options, I decided on England. Why? I\u2019m a massive Harry Potter fan for one, but I\u2019ve also always wanted to see England, experience the culture and the history, and hear the accents in person.<\/p>\n
Also they speak English.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not ashamed to admit that a big factor in choosing England was the absence of a language barrier. By not studying at a Loyola campus, I\u2019m immersing myself completely into a different school. I took French through high school and took a year of Italian at Loyola, but my communication skills in both languages are very limited. If I was going to spend a semester abroad I didn\u2019t want any difficulties communicating. After spending two days here, I knew I made the right choice. I\u2019m totally and completely in love with London and its culture. I\u2019ve always been a fan of big cities, and London has about the same amount of people as New York with ten times more history. While planning for my trip, I expected the culture to be similar to the US with a few little differences.<\/p>\n
I was right. To an extent.<\/p>\n
I went to the same public school district from first to twelfth grade. My first year at Loyola, I was surrounded by freshman that didn\u2019t know what they were doing any more than I did. Coming to London, I\u2019ve never felt more out of place in my life. The flat I rented is four other people traveling through USAC, so when I\u2019m home I\u2019m surrounded by Americans that are in the same position as me. However, as soon as I leave the American bubble of my flat, I\u2019m very clearly foreign. After three and a half weeks here, I\u2019d like to think I\u2019m no longer an obvious tourist wandering the streets, but every time I open my mouth I\u2019m very identifiable as American. It\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing, but I\u2019ve never been so conscious of my accent. I\u2019m still thrown off when I get compliments on my accent because I\u2019ve always considered the British accent to be appealing and the American accent to be viewed as annoying and loud. You always want what you don\u2019t have I guess? (Side note: I\u2019ve also been repeatedly mistaken for Australian, which has left me and my American flatmates baffled because I\u2019m the only one that seems to get this comment.)<\/p>\n
The accent is the dead giveaway of my international origin. However, after observing and having discussions with some classmates in London, there are quite a few small cultural differences that I didn\u2019t consider. Slang, for example, is a big one. When I hold the door open for someone, I don\u2019t get a \u201cThank you\u201d, I get \u201cCheers!\u201d Rather than ask \u201cHow are you?\u201d Brits tend to ask \u201cAre you alright?\u201d which throws me off because my first question is \u201cYeah, why? Do I not look alright?\u201d One of my personal favorites is the difference between pissed and pissed off. If someone is \u2018pissed\u2019 here, they\u2019re drunk. If they\u2019re \u2018pissed off\u2019, they\u2019re angry. Apparently not as interchangeable as they are in the States. Similarly, spelling is another difference that seems small until you have to write a paper. While taking notes in classes, I\u2019m trying to get in the habit of spelling \u2018victimization\u2019 as \u2018victimisation\u2019. I\u2019d rather not lose marks for little spelling mistakes that aren\u2019t actually mistakes to me!<\/p>\n
Crossing the road proves to be difficult some days. I find myself looking both ways the entire time I cross because I forget which direction the cars are coming from. (Side note: You wouldn\u2019t get hit by a truck here. You\u2019d be hit by a lorry.) Jaywalking isn\u2019t actually a thing here. You cross the road when you please, no one will stop you. You just have to be smart enough to not get hit.<\/p>\n
To conclude this rambling blog post, I\u2019ll say I\u2019m definitely settling here. The UK is different (obviously), but similar enough to feel at home rather quickly. Starbucks tastes different. McDonald\u2019s tastes different (Sorry Mom, I\u2019m still eating fast food. At least I\u2019m eating it less?). Chipotle gives you a LOT less in their burrito bowl (so, a normal serving size probably). My accent is obvious but I\u2019m extremely thankful I speak the language fluently because I\u2019ve met some really incredible and fascinating people while abroad, and I\u2019m so very grateful we can understand each other fully. However, though I\u2019m happy in an entirely English speaking country, I\u2019m very much looking forward to traveling to other countries (the Netherlands, Italy, and hopefully France or Poland) where I\u2019ll be fully immersed into another different culture with different languages. I\u2019m eternally grateful to Loyola and to my family for providing this opportunity to get to experience so much. I\u2019ve learned more about the world and about myself in these last few weeks than I have my whole college career, and I can\u2019t wait to keep exploring!<\/p>\n
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![\"Ferris](\"http:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/goglobal\/files\/2015\/10\/Ferris-Wheel.jpg\")
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