In my opinion, London, England is the best city in the world. I had the absolute privilege of studying abroad there in the Spring, and, to my parents' dismay, I'm already looking at applying to grad schools there. The four months I spent in London were some of the best of my life, and I am insanely jealous of those who are living those four months right now. So, I have taken it upon myself to write and definitely not all-encompassing list of the fifteen "must-dos" while studying abroad in London.
1. Visit the London Zoo
The ZSL London Zoo is hands-down my favorite spot in London. Nothing filled my heart with more joy than walking through a forest of free-running monkeys or watching droves of penguins swimming and jumping on penguin beach (especially Ricky the Rockhopper, follow him on Facebook!). I consider myself to be quite the connoisseur of zoos, and the London Zoo was one of the best I've ever been to.
2. Shop at the Camden Town Market
The Camden Market is a huge market in Camden Town with over a thousand shops to choose from. They sell fresh flowers, drinks, food, ice cream made out of nitrogen - literally anything you could ever want.
3. Find a local pub and make it your hangout (bonus points if they have a quiz night!)
The best way to meet the London locals is by finding a pub to make your local haunt. London is littered with them, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a good one (for all my Worrell House peeps, I highly recommend The Washington. Say hi to Rhys for me!). Also, pub food is the best food.
4. Try Rekorderlig Cider
If you are of the drinking persuasion, definitely try Rekorderlig Cider. It's a Swedish cider that is only sold in Europe (and some random town in Florida), and I am obsessed with it. It it hands down the best thing I have ever tasted and everything else pales in comparison. Feel free to ship me some!
5. Visit as many local businesses as possible
You are in a new city, in a new country, on another continent. Please don't go to Starbucks and McDonald's everyday. My golden rule of studying abroad was "don't buy anything you can also buy at home." Support local businesses for your coffee/breakfast/burger needs, you won't regret it.
6. Go see a show at The Globe
Shakespeare's Globe may just be the apple in London's eye. It is a magical, beautiful place with a bangin' gift shop. I also recommend being a groundling and standing for the duration of the performance, because how many people, besides thousands of now-deceased 16th century theatre goers, can say they've done that? Also, The Globe puts on some great performances, so it costs more than a penny to see shows there these days, but it's definitely worth it.
7. Go see The Mousetrap
"The Mousetrap" is the longest running play in the world, and it's a pretty good one too. Tickets are super easy to get, and it's a classic. I saw performance number 26,448 and they have eight shows a week, so I'll let you do that math! Also, they sell Rekorderlig in the theatre bar, so it's number one in my book.
8. Actually, go see as much theatre as possible
Theatre is everywhere in London, and it's just so available. They are doing amazing things there, and there's always celebrities performing in plays on the West End (I saw Kenneth Branagh, Glenn Close, and Uzo Adoba!). Even the cheapest seats are still great seats, and definitely more with your pounds than the nth overpriced Union Jack T-shirt you're about to buy.
9. Ride on the top deck of a double-decker bus
The busses in London are definitely not the most effective form of transportation if you're in a hurry. but there's something nice about seeing the sights of London from on top of one of those huge, red monstrosities after spending so much time underground. Also, the top deck is so much more fun, just be careful not to fall down the stairs.
10. Do your schoolwork outside your house, if possible (also just do your schoolwork in general)
A) Please don't get behind in your studies because there is no time to be stressed in the best city in the world, and B) Try to do you schoolwork out in the world. I highly recommend the lobby of the National Theatre (they have amazing french fries/chips), the Tate Modern, or any local coffee shop/pub with free wifi.
11. Go to a Ben's Cookies
BEN'S. COOKIES. ARE. MANNA. FROM. HEAVEN. They are little shops scattered around London (there's one on Bond Street right outside the Tube stop), and they are the best cookies I have ever had. I highly recommend the chocolate peanut butter.
12. See a movie at the Prince Charle's Cinema
The Prince Charle's Cinema is the only independent rep theatre in London, and it's right off Leicester Square. They are always showing cool, old movies or having sing-alongs (I went to a Dirty Dancing Sing Along movie showing there, and it was amazing). It's a great place to interact with real Londoners without being a super touristy destination. They also sell Rekorderlig there, so I love it.
13. Go to the Transportation Museum
This may sound nerdy, but the transportation museum is so cool. It's super interactive (I got to "drive" a tube train) and the gift shop is honestly number one in the entire city.
14. Choose a tube line and just ride it for a while
I don't know what this will be like after Brexit, but it is so important to see as much of the world as possible when you're studying abroad. We all know, of course, that London is the best city, but you can't judge it as so unless you've been to it's competition. You will never have an opportunity to travel like this again, and if you do, you are truly blessed. So while London has everything you could ever need, make sure to get outside those Roman walls and see what the rest of Europe has to offer.
