People always say studying abroad changes your life, and they aren’t kidding. Being a college student in London will forever go down as the best thing that ever happened to me with stand out as one of the best experiences of my life after experiencing “Local London Living” as an American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) student over the summer. 

For some students, being in a foreign country for an entire semester can feel too long. AIFS offers a variety of programs with varying lengths ranging from a few weeks to a couple of months.

I stayed in Vauxhall, London for four weeks and that was plenty of time for a first solo trip abroad. I visited every London borough, almost every museum, palace and famous historical sight, plus street markets and numerous towns and villages scattered throughout England.   

Le Moyne College’s Study Abroad services helped tremendously in achieving my goal. Advisor Amy Kennedy guided me through the application process and ensured that the classes I registered for, “British Monarchy Through the Ages” and “Museums and Galleries,” counted for transfer credit. The AIFS classes didn’t feel like a typical class and were super fun – the city and historical sites were the classroom.  During the Monarchy class we retraced the steps of royalty, the Tower of London and saw the crown jewels, Westminster Abbey, The National Portrait Gallery, St. James’ Palace, Old Queen’s House, The Royal Naval College, Greenwich Market, and took walks around the old British alleyways, the House of Parliament and Trafalgar Square.

 Museums and Galleries classes included trips to Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery (again) and the National Gallery, The British Museum, The Wallace Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, Japan House and Saatchi Gallery.

The program included a handful of British excursions as well, such as a sightseeing boat tour on the Thames River, tickets to an England versus Iceland football game at Wembley Stadium and a trip to Stonehenge and Bath. 

Classroom customs in the United Kingdom differ slightly from the U.S. The British call classes “lessons” and bathroom breaks are “toilet breaks.” In England they call hallways “corridors” and number of class minutes “sessions.” Everything is smaller there: Their school buildings, classrooms, corridors and desks are much, much smaller compared to those in America. 

I had a press pass, thanks to being a student at Le Moyne (shoutout you know who you are) so I was given close access to Westminster Abbey during the Emperor of Japan’s state visit.  I saw the Emperor of Japan leave Westminster Abbey in the secret service car. I went to St. James’ Palace to watch the Colonel Review of Trooping the Colour and stood up front. I went to Trooping the Colour with my press pass and shadowed a reporter from Australian News. After arriving at 6 a.m., Prince William and Princess Catherine with their children, King Charles and other royals come down the mall in their carriages and later on the balcony.

During Royal Ascot weekend, I went to Windsor Castle and when King Charles’ car passed by me I yelled hello and he waved back! During my time in England I saw all of the senior members of the royal family, and King Charles five times in all. After following other carriages to a nearby pub, some of the Ascot attendees invited me to stay because I had a press pass. 

Aside from royal events and historical sites, I saw “Hamilton” in London’s West End and went to every London borough and other towns in England, including Cotswolds, Oxford, Reading, Bath, Salisbury, Redhill, Brighton, Bristol, Northampton and West Wycombe. 

My favorite area of London is called Notting Hill because it is authentic with beautiful old rainbow-colored buildings and  narrow streets encompassed in that old world British feel. The Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill is unlike any market you will ever experience in the United States. It is blocks and blocks of rare vintage treasures. The Notting Hill/Chelsea area could also boost your ego too. In the Portobello Arcade Cafe I was mistaken for Kate Winslet for two minutes by an 80-year old couple and I played along with it. In the “Antiques Arcade” in Chelsea I met Johnny Depp! I asked him for a picture and he said no but once I talked to him for a couple of minutes I changed his mind…

Treasured memories were made. I will never stop thanking everyone who boosted me and helped make it happen. Navigating through England and learning about different world perspectives helped boost my confidence and unlock skills I didn’t know I had. 

 Keep this tip in mind if you’re considering studying abroad: “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.”