So it has been roughly two weeks since I arrived in London and honestly, there are no exact words to explain the contentment I feel. I was quite nervous that I would miss home (friends, family, my dogs) too much, but I by the third day, that sense of homesick had dissipated. I feel comfortable with my flatmates, I am discovering hidden London treasures daily and trips to Amsterdam and Dublin have already been booked.

While I did not feel a huge jolt of culture shock, there are certainly many noticible differences. Most appealing to me is the interaction between people here. Compared to my university at home, students here are more open minded towards each other, more accepting of differences and more genuinely interested in discovering new things (places, people, etc). Men are not afraid to hug each other or wear pants that actually fit them. Women do not become obviously paranoid if her boyfriend is speaking with another boy. I am not saying that all people in the states fit this mold, I am speaking strictly from my experiences.