For eight weeks during the summer of 2023, I worked as the program assistant on the International Business Institute, a study abroad program for undergraduates studying international business. After two [unnecessary] legs of flying, I met the group of 15 students and the director of the trip in Newark for my final flight to cross the Atlantic.

We arrived in London in the wee hours of the morning—everyone feeling very jetlagged, one student very sick with some sort of flu, and my luggage very broken. Despite my comfort with international travel and interacting with college students, I didn’t feel like the circumstances set us up for a successful first day. But, I was thankfully proven wrong.

A coach bus picked us up at Heathrow and took us immediately into the heart of London where we picked up a local tour guide for a walking tour of some major sites. Very kindly, our first stop off of the bus was a coffee cart in front of Westminster, where I took advantage of a steaming Americano to bolster me for the long day of touristic activities to come.

The jury is out on whether it’s better to arrive early & have to stay awake for the first full day on the ground in a foreign country, or to arrive in the evening and go straight to bed. My preference is the former because touring right away ensures that your body and mind will be completely toast by the end of the night, which in my experience, helps with a full night of sleep. I digress.

Coffees in hand, we took a brisk walk around Parliament Square, Buckingham Palace and St. James’ Park before hopping on the coach for a quick drive to Covent Garden (by this point our director took the suffering sickly student to our hotel to rest and try to recover). The students and I split off to find food (and try to stay awake). I lunched on the terrace of the Royal Opera House, which could not have been more delicious & beautiful. I basically had the place to myself and thoroughly enjoyed taking in the architecture, savoring bites of quiche and fennel/green bean salad and listening to the chatter on the street. Eventually we re-boarded the coach and I think everyone fell asleep on the drive across town.

Our first (and second) night accommodations were possibly the worst of the trip (tied perhaps only with our last one in Amsterdam). Everything was just old and not super well-kept and cramped and hot. But, we were conveniently near Victoria station and in a neighborhood with plenty of places to eat (including a pub that of course satisfied my first-night need for fish & chips).

The following day, the same local guide took us out to Greenwich for a short tour & some free time to explore. Although I’ve been to London multiple times, I had never experienced Greenwich and totally loved the experience. Particular highlights were wandering through the Queen’s House (and gawking at the gorgeous Tulip Staircase); hiking up the hill to see the Prime Meridian; and a quick pass through the National Maritime Museum. I would love to go back. That day, I also got my first taste of solo travel & exploration, which I found myself doing frequently over the course of the next 8 weeks. It was a good test of my nerves and navigation skills—both of which developed as we traveled.

After some corporate visits (I don’t think I fully appreciated how cool these were when I participated in IBI as an undergrad student in 2011), we moved our belongings out to a Hyatt (much more comfortable lodging) near Heathrow airport, where the students took classes for a few days while I did freelance copywriting work. We all had one free day to explore London before departing for India, so I led the charge (somewhat poorly as I always mess myself up on buses) to navigate into the city. Everyone made it, despite my lack of guidance and after a mini-panic attack when I arrived to the Tate Britain, I pulled on my big girl pants, took a deep breath and decided that my day would not be ruined by anxiety—a theme I had to revisit on multiple occasions.

Going into this trip, I had visited more than 20 countries and lived abroad for a year. So, there really was no reason to let myself be overcome with worries or fears about travel. I knew that I wanted to be able to soak in the joys of multi-cultural experiences and adventures, so I was determined to not let my thoughts overtake my body like that again. I’m very grateful I was able to work through it (and for a “random” text from my uncle, who reassured me that I was the woman for the job and a very capable traveler). From there on out, I was able to fully engage in a very wonderful day filled with art, rose gardens, multiple Americanos, drawing, fabulous weather, stunning architecture, post-card writing and the most delicious honey cake (from Harrods). Even when I again got on the wrong bus and was temporarily stranded in a random neighborhood later that night, I did not lose my cool, and was calmly able to arrange an Uber back to the hotel. Note to self and others: don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back from the greatness of the unexpected!

The Highlights

Cream tea (particularly the scones with clotted cream & jam). Victoria & Albert Museum. Tate Britain (I really loved the J.M.W. Turner exhibit). Garden roses. The London Tube. Lunch on the terrace of the Royal Opera House. Westminster. Greenwich (Queen’s House, Prime Meridian & National Maritime Museum). Harrods. Honey cake. Digestives biscuits. Ham and English mustard crisps (chips). Fish and chips (fries).

SDG

p.s. Wondering more about the context of this visit to London, England? This was one of the nine countries visited on the 2023 International Business Institute. Read about my own undergraduate experience on the trip when I participated in 2011.

LMB #7