September 29 — Growing up in a small town in
Connecticut did not prepare me for life in London. In fact, I believe
nowhere can truly prepare you for London.
My first couple of weeks in the city have been a completely unique experience. This is the first time in my life where I have depended on public transportation to get anywhere. I have only started to learn about the culture that surrounds the Tube, and I know there is much more to come. First of all, when you enter the Underground, the understanding is that you already know where you are headed. If not, prepare to be swept up in the commotion of the other London citizens who depend entirely on the Tube to get them to work, home, stores, school, everywhere! At first, I was very irritated at the rudeness displayed by these people. But, as time has gone on, I am starting to understand the urgency that surrounds it. At home, I can hop in a car and immediately head to my destination. But here, there is a tremendous amount of trust that is put into the Underground and its intricacies. Of course, most of the people riding the Underground are not as nervous as a young woman from the US who has never navigated a city on her own before. But they have their own lives and responsibilities to be worried about. The rush of the Tube has taught me about the layout of London, certainly, but has also given me an extra dose of empathy.
It is not only the problems and complexities of the present day that have surprised me. I have also been struck by the immensity of the history that surrounds the city. My home is also encompassed by history: the Mark Twain house, Nathan Hale Homestead, and Emily Dickinson’s home are all within an hour’s drive. But this city is apart from any in the world due to the proximity and the grandness of its history. In our first International Studies class, we learned about Roman Britain and visited the Museum of London. Just that one period of London’s history was overwhelming. But my favorite moment so far was in the Roman exhibition. It was not an artifact, demonstration, or video. Rather, it was the view of the remnants of the London Wall right beneath the window. I stared at this piece of history for a few moments, when I noticed a woman talking on her cellphone about 10 feet away. I have never seen such an odd juxtaposition of technology before. But it made me laugh. There was nothing wrong about it, but both were a showcase of a period’s top technology. Both impressed me thoroughly.
London has been striking in many ways so far. And I still have a few months to go. I look forward to the rest of my time here and the moments where the merging of history and culture become obvious. Whether it’s taking a trip to the British Museum or just walking down the street, I know these influences of the past and present will make themselves known to me.
My first couple of weeks in the city have been a completely unique experience. This is the first time in my life where I have depended on public transportation to get anywhere. I have only started to learn about the culture that surrounds the Tube, and I know there is much more to come. First of all, when you enter the Underground, the understanding is that you already know where you are headed. If not, prepare to be swept up in the commotion of the other London citizens who depend entirely on the Tube to get them to work, home, stores, school, everywhere! At first, I was very irritated at the rudeness displayed by these people. But, as time has gone on, I am starting to understand the urgency that surrounds it. At home, I can hop in a car and immediately head to my destination. But here, there is a tremendous amount of trust that is put into the Underground and its intricacies. Of course, most of the people riding the Underground are not as nervous as a young woman from the US who has never navigated a city on her own before. But they have their own lives and responsibilities to be worried about. The rush of the Tube has taught me about the layout of London, certainly, but has also given me an extra dose of empathy.
It is not only the problems and complexities of the present day that have surprised me. I have also been struck by the immensity of the history that surrounds the city. My home is also encompassed by history: the Mark Twain house, Nathan Hale Homestead, and Emily Dickinson’s home are all within an hour’s drive. But this city is apart from any in the world due to the proximity and the grandness of its history. In our first International Studies class, we learned about Roman Britain and visited the Museum of London. Just that one period of London’s history was overwhelming. But my favorite moment so far was in the Roman exhibition. It was not an artifact, demonstration, or video. Rather, it was the view of the remnants of the London Wall right beneath the window. I stared at this piece of history for a few moments, when I noticed a woman talking on her cellphone about 10 feet away. I have never seen such an odd juxtaposition of technology before. But it made me laugh. There was nothing wrong about it, but both were a showcase of a period’s top technology. Both impressed me thoroughly.
London has been striking in many ways so far. And I still have a few months to go. I look forward to the rest of my time here and the moments where the merging of history and culture become obvious. Whether it’s taking a trip to the British Museum or just walking down the street, I know these influences of the past and present will make themselves known to me.
—Kaitlyn Moseley