In traveling to England for the first time, there are a litany of things that I'm excited to see, but there are also many things from back home that I will miss. Here's a quick list what I'll miss about living in the states.
1. Driving. This is actually my biggest pet peeve regarding both DC and London. As a native San Diegan, I have to drive everywhere: to the store, to the gym, even to my mailbox. I’ve learnt to take solace in the inevitable amount of driving that I do, and it’s come to be one of the things I love most about my daily routine. London, unfortunately, will not provide me with the opportunity to drive. Not only do they drive on the left side of the road, the dashboard and interior of English cars are completely flipped. Furthermore, London traffic is supposed to be notoriously bad, worse than traffic in DC, even.
2. No fish. In London, seafood is a quintessential part of thee cuisine. Whether it's upscale dining or a fish and chips stand, it's difficult to escape the English seafood. This is rather unfortunate for me, because all seafood makes me quite ill. Don't get me wrong; if you're visiting London, I encourage you to try it, but it's just not for me.
3. Sunshine. Perhaps it's my own personal bias, but there is no place in the world that has sunshine like my San Diego hometown. In London, it's dreary and rainy pretty much every day. One of the biggest tips I've received is to bring a raincoat and a good umbrella; apparently, I'll need them.
4. TV. Of course this was going to be on the list! I have a finite amount of time living in London; I don't want to waste it watching my favorite shows on Amazon Prime and Netflix. But how will I get through an entire 4 months without my Arrow or Parenthood fix? Of course, I won't be completely without visual entertainment. Nerd that I am, I've already familiarized myself with British television: from dramas like Doctor Who or Broadchurch, humorous "factual" programing like Top Gear, or channel 4 panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats or Mock the Week, I think I have my British TV bases covered.
5. Knowledge of my surroundings. Though I look forward to seeing and exploring London, the fact is it's a little frightening to enter a foreign country with little knowledge about the shops and hang-outs near my apartment. Will I accidentally stumble into a bad part of town? Successfully navigate the tube system? Be able to find Argos when I need it? I hope so; I plan to make it my personal mission to learn and explore as much about London as I can whilst I'm there.