First Time at Camden Market

Today I went to Camden and explored the Camden Market, which I absolutely loved! There were so many different types of foods that it was ridiculously hard to choose what to eat. They had crepes, pizza, burritos, Chinese, Indian, Tai, falafel and so much more food. I ended up getting a crepe since I kinda wanted a breakfast food and been craving crepes for a while. Fran, Zoe, Lexie, and Sana (the other people I went to the market with) ended up getting burritos from this Mexican place which definitely tasted different than the burritos I’m used to getting in New York but were still super yummy. Besides the crepe, I also had a little container of freshly squeezed orange juice that we watched being made right in front of us. After eating we went and explored the market were we saw vendors selling amazing artwork and handmade jewelry. Overall, Camden was amazing and definitely a place I will have to go back to since I really want to try more of the foods and explore more of the market!

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Tate Britain, Pub Crawl, Oxford Street, and Carnaby Street

A little update on what I’ve been up to for the past week is on Wednesday I went on a field trip for my London Studies class to Tate Britain where we saw numerous of historic paintings. Then on Thursday, I went on a pub crawl through a social program where our tour guide took us to 3 hidden historic pubs in the financial district of London. One thing I learned while on this tour was that everything closes super early in the financial district so we were starving the entire tour. Finally, we ventured off and went to eat at Wagamama’s where I realized I’m not a big fan of Japanese food. On Friday we took a trip of our own and went to Oxford Street to do a little shopping. One thing I absolutely love about London is that if you make a turn down a random street and you can find hidden gems like Carnaby street which was lined with quaint shops and restaurants.

 

Tour around Greenwich

On Saturday we went on a boat cruise that took us to Greenwich here we ate at one of the local restaurants and walked around the Greenwich market. The market was definitely my favorite part about this little off the coast town as it had unique foods from all over Europe. Since it was a cold rainy day we didn’t get to explore as much as we would have liked. So this is definitely a place I will have to go back to!

 

Adventures in Notting Hill

Went exploring today with some friends around Notting Hill, which has streets lined with beautifully colored homes. We walked the famous Portobello Road where we got to see the Portobello Road Market take place. We took a quick stop at Biscuiteers which has gorgeously handcrafted biscuits and the Humming Bird Cafe which sells baked goods like cupcakes and cakes. Before leaving the Humming Bird Cafe I snapped a pic of their eye-catching rainbow cake. We took a break and had lunch at the Farm Girl Cafe, where I ordered oven baked aubergine and a rose petal latte. Then to end the day we stopped at The Churchill Arms which even in the winter was stunning to see. Although, I will definitely be back in the spring when all the flowers are in full bloom.

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Brunch in Putney: Ground Coffee Society

I took a trip to Putney this morning which was about a 10min bus ride for brunch at Ground Coffee Society to celebrate my friend Francescas 21st birthday. We both got cappuccinos and I had these amazing eggs benedict that came with rocket, which I learned is what they call lettuce/arugula in London. Also, while waiting for the bus took a quick pic of the adorable doors along the street because I’m absolutely loving Londons architecture.

Scavenger Hunt around London

Today my school set up a scavenger hunt for us to find things around London. So we split into groups and headed out. We saw iconic things like the London Eye, Westminster Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Baker Street, Hardys Sweets (the original Willy Wonka store), Picadilly Circus, Sherlock Homes house, and more. By the end of the day, we ended up walking over 11 miles to find everything not including taking the tube (for my first time!) and riding the double-decker bus. Once we finished we sat down for a nice hot dinner and glass of wine. So far I’m absolutely loving London and can’t wait to see more of what this stunning city has to offer.

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Registration and into London

Today I registered for classes and got my ID card. I finally had time to unpack and set up my room a little before heading to Primark to do a little shopping. Before registration, I went to the Hive again and tried a late instead of a cappuccino. For lunch, I used the groceries I bought at Asda (which I am almost out of) and am just sitting down now for dinner.

First day on campus

Yesterday January 11th was my first full day on campus! I was super busy with orientation so unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make this post. Anyways, my day involved going to Orientation which meant a tour around campus and a few info sessions to tell us a little about the college and London. After Orientation, a couple people and I went for a walk to the “secret shop” AKA Londis which is just down the street to get oyster cards (a must have in London). We then took the bus to Asda which is basically like a Walmart back in the USA. This was kinda a struggle because we had to carry all our bags on the bus and then across campus back to my flat (which doesn’t have an elevator!). Then at night, I went back to the Union to have dinner and a couple drinks to end the night before an early day this morning of registration and getting our student ID cards.  

What I ate today: First day on campus

Since yesterday was my first full day on campus I didn’t have time until the end of the day to grocery shopping so I ate on campus rather than cooking in my flat. In the morning, I had a cappuccino and raspberry yogurt from this cute little cafe right outside my building called the Hive that makes their food with all natural ingredients, some they even grow here on campus. Then for lunch, I went with some friends to the Union which is a restaurant/bar on campus and got a Burger and “chips.”

On My Way!

Today I leave for London to start my study abroad experience. It feels like I’ve waited for this day for so long and I can’t believe it’s finally here. Studying abroad was something I have only ever dreamed about and I’m so grateful for this opportunity. I packed up my suitcases from iFLY, I have both the carryon and large size from the gold hard side luggage collection (link below). After a hectic day of running around preparing for my journey, I was upgraded to first class! I am now sitting on the plane writing this post with champagne in hand. So I guess you can say I’m off to a good start. Stay tuned to find out more about my experience!

Link for Suitcase from iFLY