Studying abroad was a no-brainer for me. While I enjoy my time at the University of Tennessee, I craved a change of pace from my routine. My days felt repetitive—waking up, making a quick Keurig coffee, driving through the middle-of-nowhere Tennessee to work, and coming home exhausted. I wanted something different, something exciting.
After much deliberation, I chose to study abroad in London, England. As someone from Atlanta, Georgia—a bustling city—I assumed London wouldn’t feel all that different. After all, it’s another big city where people speak English and eat familiar foods. How different could it really be?
After a week of orientation led by an amazing WorldStrides staff member, it was finally time to start school all on my own. I went to bed early the night before to ensure that I would be properly prepared for my first day of class. Although this was a step in the right direction, I don’t think anything could have “properly prepared” me for what I would experience on my first day.
I woke up early for my first lecture at 9:00 AM, knowing I needed about 30 minutes to get to campus. Wanting to leave enough time for coffee and navigating public transport, I stepped outside in my new trench coat—only to be greeted by the most quintessential London weather imaginable. It was a brisk 40 degrees Fahrenheit, cloudy, and drizzling just enough to be annoying.
Determined to start my morning right, I grabbed a coffee from Pret A Manger down the street, feeling quite pleased with both my drink and my new subscription that scored me half-off beverages. Coffee in hand, I made my way toward the Tube station, carefully looking left, then right, before stepping into the street. And then—BAM—a red double-decker bus whooshed past me, missing me by mere inches. Apparently, I had forgotten that in London, traffic comes from the opposite direction.
Shaking off my near-death experience, I stepped into the station and tapped my Oyster card, ready to take on the London Underground. I boarded the District/Circle line heading west, confidently following Citymapper—an app my new British friend assured me was foolproof.
Feeling accomplished, I tracked my stop on the app, but as the train moved, the station names didn’t sound familiar. That’s when it hit me—I was going in the wrong direction. Sighing, I hopped off at the next stop to fix my mistake. I approached a station assistant for help, only to be met with what felt like classic British indifference. With a curt response and minimal eye contact, he pointed me toward the correct platform. Defeated and already exhausted, I finally boarded the right train, hoping the rest of my day would go a little smoother.
I opened my timetable to find my classroom. Thankfully, I made it there without any more mishaps and quickly sat next to the friendliest-looking person I could find. As class began, I was immediately struck by my professor’s strong accent—so different from what I was used to in the U.S. Glancing around the room, I couldn’t help but feel the richness of the culture surrounding me. The diversity was palpable, unlike anything I had experienced in a classroom before. After introductions, that feeling was confirmed—out of just 20 students, 11 different countries were represented. I couldn’t help but think, this is so cool.
Then, it hit me—I had my first real culture shock moment. As I mentally recapped my morning, I realized just how different London was from the United States. The confusing train ride, the near-death experience with the double-decker bus, even the subtle differences in classroom dynamics—all of it felt overwhelming at first. But instead of seeing it as a stressful, chaotic morning, I reframed it.
This wasn’t a rough start to my day; it was a new, culturally unique experience. Every misstep, every unexpected challenge was simply part of the adventure of studying abroad. In that moment, I decided to embrace it all—the confusion, the learning curves, and even the moments that made me feel completely out of my element. From here on out, I knew I needed to welcome every challenge that came my way because each one would make my time in London that much more meaningful. I am so excited to experience more of the rich culture that London has to offer!