Before I made any substantial friendships at Oxford, I spent my time going to the gym and grocery stores as working out and making healthy meals (protein and fiber maxing as they call it). Although it might sound a bit boring, those were some of the ways I brought familiarity to my new setting. As a result, I’ve gotten really good at meal prepping and knowing my way around an English grocery store.
Fortunately, my floormates are adventurous and became some of my closest friends, which led to day trips to London, exploring the colleges around Oxford, going to student socials and trying the food at the dining halls. Besides excursions, we often have lunch together since their offices are a 3 minute walk from mine, and we’ll watch the World Cup games together.
Besides my floormates, I have had the chance to see friends! Friends from high school, policy programs, and fellow Laidlaw Scholars (Wiann), have all by chance been in London which allows me to leave the small town energy of Oxford for more fast-paced and loud ambiance of West and East London. East London has become a personal favorite region of mine as there is so much art, culture and community there and it greatly reminds me of New York.
Another fun part of being in the UK is learning their transportation systems. In Oxford, everyone either bikes or walks. I find the buses to be unreliable, but they sometimes function when needed. In London, the trains are the main ways that people travel. Knowing there’s an aboveground and underground train at each station is crucial to getting to where you need to go and I learned that the hard way… but I now know!