Study Abroad London: Books to Read Abroad

London is the perfect place for reading for many reasons. Once is that most people spend a ton of time on the tube and a perfect commuting activity is reading. Another is that the typically gloomy weather creates the perfect environment to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book.

So here are some book that I highly recommend if you are studying abroad in London!

1. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
          I actually read this book a couple of months before studying abroad and it helped me work up the courage to go on this adventure. This book is about a woman who attempts to find herself while hiking the pacific crest trail. This is the authors own true story and I found it to be very motivational. From it I took away that I can do anything and that even if a situation sounds scary I am capable of overcoming that fear. This is a great mindset to get into when studying abroad because so much is new and foreign and you have to learn to be brave at times.

2. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
          This is retelling of Harry Potter with gay characters, but it's also so much more. Yes there are tons of parallels to the Harry Potter series, but it's also it's own unique story. It becomes so moving and heartbreaking at times, but also so hilarious. I instantly fell in love with the characters. This is a good book to read abroad because it takes place at a British magical school. I suppose you could also read Harry Potter, but since pretty much everyone in the world has already read Harry Potter this is great alternative.

3. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
          This is the first book of the Rivers of London series (it's also called Midnight Riot if you need help finding a copy). This series is about a police officer in London who solves crimes of the supernatural nature. You've got magic, mystery and London all wrapped up in each book. It's pretty much perfect. This book is the absolute best for studying abroad in London because in every book there are references to locations in London and having lived here the last few months it's cool to recognize the locations mentioned in the book.

4. More Than This by Patrick Ness
          This is a story about a boy who dies (not a spoiler, this happens in the first couple of pages) and about what happens to him after death. It's not about the afterlife in a religious sense by any means. It's better to go into this book not knowing anything else, so I'm going to leave the synopsis at that. It's a good book for studying abroad in London because parts of the story do take place in London and it's just great to read books set in London while in London. Another reason is that this a captivating and easy to read book so it will keep your attention even during peak hours on the tube.

5. Othello by William Shakespeare
          The best time to read a Shakespeare play is when you are in London. I recommend Othello because it's really easy to understand (even if Shakespeare is not really your thing). It's a story about how jealousy can lead you to do crazy things. And it has the best villain in Shakespeare, Iago. London is home of The Globe Theatre, so even if you don't read Othello, check out a Shakespeare play there.

Study Abroad London: Useful Apps

Studying Abroad can be a fun and stressful at the same time. Here are some apps that I find useful to use to manage all that stress and fun!

1. City Mapper: This app is wonderful for navigating a city that you're unfamiliar with. You can find directions anywhere using public transportation or walking. Plus you can save the routes and then pull them up at any point even if you don't have WiFi and it will still direct you. This is great when traveling to other countries where your data plan doesn't work. This app saved me from getting lost in Amsterdam!

2. Hostel world: If you are like me, when you study abroad you will travel and stay in hostels. They are the cheapest option normally, and they are decent places normally. Hostel world's app helps you keep track of your reservations and also gives suggestions as to what to do in the city you're visiting.

3. Skype: Being far away from home and your normal college friends can be hard, Skype makes it easier. You can talk to your friends and family, see their faces and it might help with some of that homesickness you're likely feeling.

4. Instagram: While you're studying abroad everyday is an adventure (ok, so not everyday, but most days). Preserve those memories and share them with your friends via Instagram.

5. Capitol One Banking (Or whatever banking company you use): Most likely your banking company has an app, I know mine does. This is really helpful, because staying on budget is super hard while abroad. The app let's you check your account balance directly and helps remind you that maybe you shouldn't eat out every meal. Also most apps come with a feature that let's you freeze your credit/debit card. This way if your card is lost or stolen you can freeze it so no one else can spend your money.

There are so many more useful apps out there fro study abroad students, but these are the ones I've used in the last couple of months. Leave your favorites in the comments!

October 2016 TBR

Here are the books I want to read during the month of October:

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 

          This is the Alice in Wonderland story that we are all familiar with. I decided to pick this up

          because I found it on my kindle, and I realized that I've never read this classic before.

2. Buffering by Hannah Hart 

          This a book by youtuber Hannah Hart about her life. I've watched Hannah's videos for a few years now and I'm interested in learning about her life. I feel like she has some really funny,                 interesting, and heartfelt stories to share.

3. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch 

          I picked this book up in the spring and then got caught up with school work that I never had a             chance to really get into the story. So here is my attempt to try again because this book seems interesting and I want to give it a go. It's about guy named Peter who wants to become a detective but he's being assigned to desk work. Then a mysterious murder takes place and he finds out he has the power to speak to a ghost who witnessed the event.

4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

          I picked this up in an indie bookstore in Bristol, England. I've been meaning to read something  by this author so when I saw the book I decided to pick it up. It takes place during Halloween so I thought it would be a perfect October read.

Study Abroad London: The Underground

The London Underground, or the Tube, is going to be absolutely necessary for those studying abroad in London. It might seem daunting at first but I promise you will quickly master the Tube and will be traveling all over London ‘til your hearts content.  Here are some tips that might help you adjust to transportation in London.

-        First thing you need to do is buy an Oyster card. My recommendation is for your first time you buy a 7 day travel card for zones 1 and 2.* This might not make a ton of sense now, but when you get to London find the nearest Tube station and it will all slowly make sense

-        Second tip is to go onto tfl.gov.uk.  Click plan a journey. Enter in your starting point and destination. This is going to help you figure out which Tube lines to take and which stations to transfer at. Whenever you’re going somewhere new this will help you not get lost or turned around on the Tube.

-        Third tip is that on the escalators make sure you stand to the right. The left side is for walking up. It’s not a confusing concept but people will get mad at you if you are standing on the left side.

-        Last thing you need to know is when you get off at a popular station (ex. Paddington) you will need to walk fast. The first time I made a transfer at this station I almost didn’t have enough time to read the signs the crowd of people were walking so quickly. London is a fast paced city and that speedy pace is seen in the Tube stations too. Walk fast are you might get trampled.

The Tube is great and it really will get you everywhere you need to go. Yes it’s crowded and hot and unfortunately not all lines run at night, but it really is the best mode of transportation around London.

*Zones 1&2 is really where everything you want to see is

Study Abroad London: 10 Things to Pack

1.      Passport- This is an obvious necessity. They won’t let you into the country without your passport. Make sure you have a passport that won’t expire before you plan on leaving the country.

2.      Comfortable Walking Shoes- Walking in a London is a must and your feet will thank you if you bring comfortable shoes to walk around in. Blisters suck and you don’t want to deal with them the whole time you’re abroad (side note: if you do get blisters moleskin works miracles. It is a thousand times better than just a band aid).

3.      Umbrella- It rains a lot in London. That’s not just a rumor you’ve heard. Bring an umbrella with you everywhere you go while in London and you will say dry. A raincoat is also a nice thing to bring but if you have to pick one, choose the umbrella. A compact umbrella that fits in your purse or bag is the best.

4.      Planner- Studying abroad is a crazy whirlwind and if you are anything like me, you are making plans to travel all the time. A planner helps keep all your travel plans organized and helps you make sure you don’t plan a trip to Germany while you’re supposed to be in class (yes you still have to attend all your classes while studying abroad).

5.      Camera- This is probably another obvious one, but you want to bring a camera (or at the very least a phone you can take pictures on). I personally recommend a camera so you can have better quality pictures and bring memory cards so you never run out of space for all the fabulous pictures you take. I also recommend getting a camera that allows you to send pictures to your phone, it makes uploading pictures to Instagram really easy!

6.      Medications- Make sure to bring any prescription medications you are on so you don’t have any problems. I also recommend bringing any over the counter medications you might need to take (Tylenol or Ibuprofen). It makes it so much easier if you already have them. Also public transportation is huge in this city so if you get even a little motion sick I recommend bringing Bonine  of Dramamine that way you’ll never feel queasy on the tube or those double decker buses.

7.      Letter from School- This is another formality for getting into the country. If you are studying abroad when you go through customs they will ask to see your acceptance letter from your school saying that you are indeed studying abroad. Make sure you have it because it’s one of the pieces of paperwork they care most about.

8.      ID- The drinking age in the UK is 18; however, they will still card you. So make sure to bring some form of ID with your birthday on it so you can enjoy a pint at the pub (I recommend getting cider if you aren’t much of a beer person like me. It can be very yummy!).

9.      Solid Bag- You will definitely need a good bad to carry all your stuff in when traveling and when even just going to class. I recommend bringing more than one bag, different sizes so you don’t have to bring a backpack just to go to the market. I also recommend getting a bag with zippers. Theft is definitely a real problem in big cities like London and zippers help keep your belongings a bit safer.  

10.   An Open mind- Yes, I know, this one is totally cheesy, but it is also totally true. After the first week of being here students decided to drop out of the program and returned home because they were homesick and not having fun. You might not have fun your first week studying abroad. It’s a new situation and there is a lot to adjust to. It can be very overwhelming, but if you keep an open mind and throw yourself into new experiences it can help you get through the rough patches and you can really enjoy your time abroad!

Alive

I feel so alive.

I walk out of ballet and for the first time in so long I feel alive. The sun is shining on my face as I walk down the sidewalk. The perfect song is playing through my headphones- the one that in the right moment feels so completely right. I can feel both the warmth from the sun and my fluffy jacket along with the cold from the wind and snow on the ground. I am trying to control the grin that is stretching across my face. I am trying to hold in the tears of pure joy that are ready to burst from my eyes. Everything feels perfect in this moment.