One Month and Culture Shocks

London, my new home. I am officially a month into my time in London and all I can say is that I am loving every second of being here. Even though I have only been here for a month, there are surprisingly not as many culture shocks as I thought there would be moving out of the country. 

Perhaps that is one of the biggest culture shocks so far: how comfortable I feel here in London thus far. 

Do not get me wrong, there are still things in London that I am slowly getting used to like remembering which way to look first when crossing the road. That is a big one. An interesting change from my hometown is also learning which side of the sidewalk, I mean pavement, you should be walking on daily. There is no real official reason for this, but it is just something that people do out of politeness when walking. I was very confused at first when I realized it is opposite to what I am used to at home, but that shock was easy to manage. Plus, most of the time people will not make it vocal if you are not walking on a specific side, they will most likely just move around you and go on with their day. 

In my time being here, the tube has grown on me. When I am home, I am so used to driving in my car but the tube is actually a form of transportation I am starting to like more. At first, I thought that I would never be able to understand the tube and figure out the underground map. 

When it comes to human interaction, I found that most people here do not say the phrase ‘have a nice day’. My first month here, I started to notice that every time I was leaving a store and said that, normally I would get a bit of a weird look from locals. It is not the locals being mean it is just the way they communicate. If you do say this, sometimes you will get a response, but they will know you are not from the area. Most of the Londoners are just a bit more reserved when it comes to talking to others typically because they are always on the move. When ending a conversation now, I have gotten used to saying ‘cheers’ instead.

Overall, London has been a reasonably smooth transition for me. I know that it may not always be smooth or it may even take longer for someone else to adjust. Hopefully, the few cultures shocks I have had so far will be a good start for a few differences to look for in the culture here versus at home. 

Studying abroad is a good reminder that you are allowed to learn as you go, people are different, cultures can be similar, and that fully submerging yourself in a new culture is the best way to truly experience it.