My suitcases are slowly being packed to the brim with sweaters (or jumpers as they say in the UK), my friends are going back to school, and it’s all starting to hit me…I’M GOING TO LONDON. For the past 2 months I’ve had almost no time to think about the crazy experiences that await me in England this coming semester. However, with my summer internship coming to a close and my plane set to leave in seven days, so many questions are arising and I’ll be honest…I’m a little nervous.
What is the weather going to be like? Is it going to rain a lot? Should I invest in a pair of rain boots?
What if I get lost? How does the Tube work? Will it be difficult to remember some of the popular British terms (Queue, biscuit, cheeky, and kerfuffle are just a few that I’ve learned thus far)?
And most importantly, what should I do if I encounter any British royalty (and by British royalty I mean Victoria and David Beckham…and the Queen too, I guess.)?!
These are all questions that are just waiting to be answered, and hopefully in one week I will be able to answer them.
All jokes aside, although I am a bit nervous, I am mainly just experiencing feelings of sheer excitement. As someone who has never been to London—or Europe even—I know that there are so many amazing things waiting to be discovered, beautiful sights waiting to be seen, incredible history waiting to be learned, and memorable adventures waiting to be had. I hope that in these next few months I can learn a lot about the amazing city of London and also about myself and what it’s like to be on my own in a place that is so culturally different than where I am from.
Now, all I have to do is pack my suitcase (hopefully it’s less than 50 pounds) and prepare for a semester that I’ll never forget!
Natalie Walden
<p>Natalie Walden is a Junior at Penn State University, majoring in Public Relations and minoring in International Studies and Vocal Performance. On any given day, you can find her around campus singing with her a cappella group or drinking Jamba Juice at one of the HUB tables. She is a brother of Phi Sigma Pi honors fraternity and one of the THON chairs of the Oriana Singers and Glee Club THON organization. Her talents include impersonating Britney Spears/Shakira and binge watching shows on Netflix (which she will not be doing much of while abroad...). Natalie has never been to Europe before and can't wait to share all of her amazing adventures across the pond!</p>
