“It’s not the walls that make the city but the people who live within them.” – George IV
Everyone should go visit England sometime in their lifetime due to the amazing sights to see and the cultural significance of a different society. Traveling to different places gives you knowledge about the world around you but a vast understanding of different cultures, histories, and opinions. Even if traveling is scary, I think it is something everyone should do.
There are numerous reasons you have to visit London, with the two most important reasons being the sights to see and the cultural difference compared to America. I am encouraging everyone to visit London because I went there when I was seventeen. It was undoubtedly the best trip of my life.
The cultural aspects of London is a huge reason you should choose London when making travel plans especially if you are a new traveler. The cultural benefit of going abroad to London, figuratively outweighs the cost. While I was there, there were a few aspects that came as a surprise/culture shock to me such as the change in government, change in monetary standards, and the change in societal culture. Everything in London is in pounds rather than dollars. Having to learn the different words and how much each one “weighed” was challenging as the dollar is equivalent to 0.8 of a British pound.
While I was in London, I also had the privilege to tour parliament and see how a different form of democracy worked. Instead of having three branches of government, there is only one governing body called parliament. There are two separate parts of parliament one the House of Lords and the other the House of Commons. The House of Commons is the elected part of parliament and the House of Lords challenges the House of Commons. According to Parliament. UK, the members debate in a large room with over 650 members combined of both houses. I have been in the room where they debate while touring and it can be compared to the room congress debates however it is also vastly different as the chair where the queen or king used to sit is still present in the room.
The cultural contrast among the people was different from America due to the slang they use and their pastimes. For instance, instead of bar they use the word pub or trousers instead of pants. Usually if you use context clues you can figure out the change in dialect. In sports, rugby is their football and they are very big on cricket which is not as popular in America. When I was there I also got to experience a tea time which meant at three o clock all the ladies would dress up and put on big hats and drink tea.
When making a destination choice, you should choose London for the many attractions and historical sites that I personally encourage you to visit. In particular, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, and Big Ben. Personally, Saint Paul’s Cathedral was my favorite historical building that I toured. According to the Saint Paul’s Cathedral website, it was rebuilt between 1675 and 1710, after the Great Fire of London destroyed the original. There were four cathedrals total. It has one of the prettiest views, as you can see the Thames River and the London Bridge, as well as a majority of the city from the very top. It has held and is used for currently, important ceremonies such as the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, as well as the funeral of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Another Historical site to see is Big Ben. The clock tower is 315 ft high with gothic revival style architecture and is over 175 years old. It is culturally significant as it plays a large role in our movies. Seeing it in movies is one thing but seeing it in real life is a whole other experience.
If you are nervous to study abroad or to go alone. Please do not be. London would be a great place to begin your adventure with traveling as there is not as heavy a language barrier, the interesting cultural aspects, and there are amazing sights to see. I truly encourage everyone to go at least once in their life time. I promise it will be a trip you will never forget.
