By nmbutler3
When you tell someone you’re studying abroad in the UK one of the first questions you hear is “oh, have you been to London yet?” London – with the queen and Big Ben and the Thames – is one of the quintessential European cities that everyone seems to want to visit. So naturally, it was near the top of my list of places I wanted to visit while abroad and this past weekend I was finally able to check the iconic city off my bucket list. To be entirely honest though, I didn’t fall in love with it like I had expected to. Now before I write anything else, London IS a wonderful city. It’s bustling with a lively energy and bursting with a rich history, and there is never a shortage of things to do and see. That being said, after visiting, I felt there was something lacking in the impact the city had on me. Up until now, most of my traveling has been to more rural and lesser-known locations, like Galway, Glencoe and Perthshire, which although all beautiful, at the time had me worried that I was somehow missing some necessary abroad experience. After this weekend though, I realized just how wrong I was.
For me, studying abroad is about trying new things and experiencing new cultures and ways of life, and while big cities like London are exciting and new, they are often highly international, and in many cases Americanized, so you tend to miss out on getting a unique experience. Again, please don’t get me wrong. There were so many things to do in London that couldn’t happen anywhere else. We saw the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St. John’s Cathedral, Abbey Road, 221 Baker Street, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and the Eye. We went to the London Food Festival and the local markets and took the underground and, even took a train out of King’s Cross Station – all things you can only do in London. But, these attractions are not what define a culture or even an experience for that matter. Sure they were all very interesting and beautiful and exciting, but none gave me that unimaginable new view or unexpected cultural understanding. To be honest, it seemed like the sights of big buildings and lots of people were all I was really getting out of my time. I interacted with few actual locals, and there were no instances of surprise or shock or bettered perspective, not to mention, most of my experiences were rushed along either by other tourists or our goal to see and do everything in such a short time frame. As a result, when I compare London to the other places I’ve been, I view the more rural areas much more fondly. With other places I have visited, I was able to really immerse myself into the local culture and environment. With “smaller locations” you can easily lose yourself within the city or town or village and actual enjoy the experience without rushing. People in these more lesser-traveled locations also tend to be much more open, friendly and personably accommodating, so you are able to better experience and embrace the local culture and actually learn or try something entirely new. Personally, I’d take experiencing a new culture like that over fighting other tourists to see an impressive building any day.
So, don’t stress about jet-setting across Europe to see all the major cities. Instead take the time to explore what’s around you. Trust me; it’ll pay off more than you know. And again, just for the record, I’m not saying to skip out on London or some other major city. I’m just warning you that not loving London (or whatever other city) is a very real possibility, especially if you’re looking for more than just another city.