This week is all about things to do in England well mostly right in London! This list is not even close to half of the things one can do in London but its a start and lots of these are fun for the whole family!
My time abroad I have done most of what is on this list with a few exceptions. The one I recommend the most is climbing the O2! The view is gorgeous and truly a great experience. If you are ever in London from November to the beginning of January then you must check out Winter Wonderland. It is filled with good food, rides, drinks and souvenirs! Harrods is another must! I could spend days just walking around and looking at all the chic clothes.


Attractions:

• London Eye
• Hyde Park
• Buckingham Palace
• Tower Bridge 
• Tower of London
• Big Ben
• British Museum 
• Natural History Museum
• Globe Theatre 
• Tafalgar Square

Shopping:

• Harrods
• Oxford Street
• Portobello Road 
• Covent Garden

Extras:

• Climb the O2
• Abbey Road
• Winter Wonderland (Noverember-Janurary)
• For the Harry Potter lover take a picture at Platform 9 ¾
• Visit Oxford  
• Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England 

Lastly we will finish off with a video! It's all about getting the know how to get around London with starting with a few basic tips. For one I am a HUGE fan of the tube! It's fast, easy and gets you where you want to go! It is not like NYC when everyone is crammed on escalators and you cannot even pass by. Londoners really do stand to the right so if one is in a rush they can walk down with ease. Even for rush hour tube traffic there was a system. Every morning I had an early start to get to my classes and it was about a 30 minute tube ride. The Tube station was packed with commuters trying to get to work but I noticed the tube pulls up to the same spot each time so people would be in a queue. If you miss that tube train there is usually one right behind. There would be that occasional person to push ahead but for the most part it was a pretty organized system. Compared to NYC's Metro station the Tube will win every time!

With by bags packed and ready to go, on September 13, 2013 I flew off to London for an adventure of a life time! Even the flight was better on British Airways not to mention the food was pretty good! As I step off the plane a rush of excitement flooded my whole body I could not wait to see what London had in store for me!

One of the speed bumps I had encountered was the difference in currency. At first I had to analyze each coin to see how much each was worth. After a few days I was a pro and I really grew to like how they have one and two pound coins.

I do not know what it is about England but everything is just better. And yes even the currency, I think it is a lot more eye catching than the U.S. dollar. Though the only downside is all the coins can weigh you down! I ended up collecting a huge pile of just coins but no worries because you can pay in all coins at the self checkout counter at Sainsbury! For those who are not familiar with Sainsbury it is only the best grocery store in London where one can find almost anything you may need. Though growing up in America we do miss our junk food that the UK does not have, luckily I was just an hour tube ride away from Partridges! The one stop shop for American products like thanksgiving stuffing, gravy, Snapple, Fruit Loops, Peppermint Patties, Skippy peanut butter and more!


Now that I'm going off on a food tangent I might as well continue. London is a prime spot for the best markets. Brick Lane market was just down the street from where I lived in Shorditch. This is where I really took advantage to try different kinds of food especially Indian. I also took a trip to Borough and Camden Market. Borough Market is every foodie's dream! They have fresh produce, award winning lemon curd, pies, sweets and more! Not to mention London was the first place I fell in love with crepes and Nutella! Stables Market was another great place to just walk around and visit each vendor. All of these markets were always so much fun to explore because no matter how many times you go there is always something different!

Of course one's trip to London is never complete unless you have high tea and you will not be getting cheap little tea bags. The miniature tea sandwiches and sweets are probably my favorite part! Next on the menu was to try some fish and chips and they were finger licking good!

Right around the corner from where I lived was the cutest little cafe which has some of the best breakfast food! My friend and I had gone to the Cottage Cafe so many times the owner started to recognize us! Though to this day I'm still not too sure what brown sauce is. 

I think it is so important to try the food locals eat no matter where you go! Its not just about getting a great meal but the experience that goes along with it. Like becoming friendly with a cafe owner and trying unique foods of English origin. I would never be one to just eat at a McDonalds because it is familiar to me. Reaching outside of my comfort zone when it comes to food is always exciting to me. In just a few months I will be heading out into the business world and I am hoping my job will allow me to travel. These experiences I've had will help me tremendously after graduation. If I go to London again I already know some terms the British use that are different from American, for example; queue:line, chips:french fries, crisps:potato chips, take-away:takeout, lorry:truck, flat:apartment etc.

I knew I always loved to travel ever since I was little. My family would take various cruises to the tropics. Just to name a few, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas and Jamaica.

I was fortunate enough at a young age to start to appreciate the world around me and to respect other cultures. Visiting a new Island w
as not just about getting time to relax but to explore a new land I have never been before, try the unique foods native to that area, learn about the history and take mental pictures of the breath taking surrounding I would have forever.

Bermuda swept me away with its warm crystal clear ocean and pink sand. I have never seen a beach so clean and breathtaking. Jamaica was the first place I really embraced different cultural cuisine. Ever since, I have been obsessed with jerk chicken but no matter where I go nothing compares to the authentic taste straight from Jamaica.

As I grew older I wanted to travel to more Islands and see more of the tropics. I never thought much of visiting Europe or Asia at all. Though I always knew I wanted to eventually travel to Russia where I was born.

Once my Junior year of college rolled around I had the opportunity to study abroad. My best friend and I thought of the perfect place, England! We ended up living in London for three months and we fell head over heels in love with Europe! And what could be better than good food, great conversation and even better company!

Now I compare everything to London from transportation, food, fashion, culture, atmosphere etc. but nothing seems to compare.

My time abroad was by far one of the best experiences of my life. I was so fortunate enough to travel to Scotland, Ireland, Spain, France and Italy! Some people never get the opportunity to see any of those places so I will never take any of my experiences for granted.