Notes from a Baby Londoner

Hi,

I’ve been putting off my blogger debut for many reasons. The main one being that as this post title suggests, I am in fact a baby Londoner. Considering there was no significant language barrier coming in (since I’m an avid viewer of Love Island UK), I naively thought a large portion of the fear that comes along with traveling across the world as a 19-year-old would subside. But I was beyond wrong. I’ve been in the UK for almost a month and every day I learn something new. There are an infinite number of differences between life here and life back home and I am absolutely loving the opportunity to tickle my curiosity at every turn. I decided it would be wise to jot down these notes as I learned them, not only for myself but for everyone who has so kindly taken the time to read the words of a baby Londoner. Here are some of my top notes!

1.) If you have a U.S. passport, entering the UK is smooth sailing

• While I was on the plane coming into London Heathrow, I continually rehearsed my answers to the grueling questions the skeptical customs officers would ask me. Why are you here? Easy money. Where are you staying? Obviously memorized. Proof of accommodation, acceptance, etc.? Sir, I’m already ahead of you! However, I was perplexed to find that I didn’t even have to perform my script. As a U.S. citizen you do not need a visa if you are staying in the UK for less than six months. So, you simply go through what they call the “E-Gate”. This is a super-fast electronic system through which you stand in short queue, then proceed to a machine which will scan your passport, take your photo, and send you on your way into the marvelous land that is the United Kingdom!

2.) Even though you won’t be driving while you’re here, left- hand traffic will still impact you

• This was quite obvious after I realized it, but people walk on the left side here! When I first arrived, I was really confused because people would always be walking towards me, and I felt like they all knew something that I didn’t. Once I figured out the secret, walking became a much more enjoyable experience. In the states, we drive on the right side and thus, the natural flow of traffic encourages one keep right. The same is true here!

• On a similar topic, the crosswalk signs are SO CUTE! They are different everywhere- but in West London especially, near Trafalgar Square- they are adorable. If you look closely, you’ll notice the two figures form a heart in the middle- how romantic!

• Also, the traffic lights for drivers turn yellow before they turn green, and I feel like this is a practice the U.S. should adopt. Someone get me in front of congress ASAP!

3.) Tesco is going to become very familiar to you, very quickly

• On my first night in London, I went outside and saw a line around the corner to get into Tesco Express. There was also a security guard by the door of the shop. I thought the Tesco hype was a joke… It definitely is not. Welcome to England!

• Pro tip: Tesco and Tesco Express are not the same. Tesco Express is much more expensive because they tend to be in convenient locations, right in the city center. They know you need/ want whatever the product may be immediately. So, they make these smaller shops in more popular places and charge higher prices because they can.

4.) The underground and bus system are not difficult to navigate

• As long as you have Apple or Google Maps, you’ll be more than okay to navigate public transport in London. If you’ve been to New York and learned to navigate that subway system, the London underground will be a breeze. The stations are a lot cleaner, and they also have signs at every station that tell you exactly which stops the tube will reach after your current station, so it is very easy to know if you are on the wrong line or waiting at the opposite platform.

• The underground charges you based on how far you go and which zones you travel in. Some zones, such as zone 1, are more expensive to travel in. You tap your card before you enter and before you leave and are charged depending on the length and path of that particular journey.

• However, the bus costs one standard charge regardless of where you go and how long you ride. You tap your card when you enter and get off the bus at your stop. Be sure to click on of the many buttons that read “STOP” before your stop to ensure that the driver does not pass it, if there are no passengers waiting to board.

5.) London is an expensive city, so keeping track of your expenses and creating a solid budget is everything   

• I originally created my budget in terms of dollars but found that pulling out my phone to do currency conversions at every store was further exposing my status as a baby Londoner. So, I decided to amend my budget to be in terms of pounds. Since you will now be living in the UK, it is much easier to start thinking about what you’re buying and the amount of money you have to spend in terms of the local currency. This allowed me to adjust my mind to view prices as someone whose home currency is GBP and emphasized that the value of the money I currently have (USD) is reduced in relation to the prices of the items around me. This also ensures that you don’t overspend by getting the conversions wrong, since your mind is now shifted to remove money from a pot that is in the same currency as everything you’re seeing about you.

• That was a slightly long-winded explanation, and it can be difficult to visualize at first. Leave a comment below if you’d like a more easily digestible explanation 😉

• Moreover, if you bring USD with you and are looking to convert it to GBP, where you decide to do your currency exchange matters! I wasn’t thinking that far into it, as I thought all exchange rates were the same regardless of the individual location- this is not the case. I ended up losing quite a bit of money just because I was confused about what a “good exchange rate” looks like. DO NOT BE LIKE ME
  • If they’re buying USD for a higher number, it means you get less GBP back because the GBP is worth more. So, if you’re creating an even greater difference between the two currencies, you’ll get less money. For example, an rate of 1.75 is extortion, but a 1.35 is less so.
  • Also, don’t exchange money near major tourist attractions. Just like how souvenirs are made more expensive, the exchange rate is worse in these places because the visitor presence is heavy and like me, they’re probably unaware of the vast discrepancies between exchange rates based on location alone

But in every misstep is a lesson learned. In my culture we call things like this “pulling sara”. This some instances, this refers to the loss of money or an item of high monetary value in a new place. When someone passes away, we also have a “sara” to bless them in their next phase and remember their life with joy and gratitude. By pulling sara you are giving a sacrifice that will bless this new land so that the land can better bless you in the future. It is often a sign of good tidings to come, so I chose to take the painful injury to my wallet as a result of my currency exchange mishap, as a blessing and an indication of prosperity and amazing experiences in my future here.

It is easy to stress when things begin to go awry. While you’re abroad you still have a life at home and at UF that will continue to present you with highs that you’re not able to experience, but also lows and issues that you may still have to deal with. You cannot let these problems dampen your day while you’re here because especially being so far away, dealing with these things becomes a lot more difficult. It is exceptionally harder to try and control things back home so it is best to try your best to resolve the things you can and let go of the things you cannot. In the end everything will work out and there is no use staying up at night stressing about issues that are metaphorically and physically, outside of your reach (I say as I type this at 3:23 AM).

That’s all for me.

Cheers,

Zee ❤