Hannah Conwell is a student at University of Colorado Boulder and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is currently studying abroad with ISA in London, England.
Standing on a bus you can hardly tell when it will stop. Sprinting down the underground tunnels in hopes that you can catch the last tube. Wandering aimlessly throughout the city to get back home. All situations could be worrisome, but I will tell you this: the best thing I have done so far is to get lost in London. All the places you dream of seeing could be when you just happen to stumble upon them when attempting to go somewhere else.
When in London, unless you personally study maps in your free time, you are bound to get turned around at one part of your journey and have to find a way back. All I can say is embrace it. Some of the best places I have visited so far happened because my friends and I took a wrong turn. Instead of trying to go back, take the free time you have and find something new. After an attempt to get back to Oxford street to do some damage to our wallets, we stumbled upon a coffee shop with wifi and decided that an afternoon in one of London’s famous parks would be so much better. Our wallets thanked us later.
Your feet will begin to tire at some point in your journey. Luckily, as your love/hate relationship with the city transport system improves, a tube station could be right around the corner. London underground will become your best friend one day but in the beginning it could stress you out.
I am happy to announce that we have made it places without getting lost. There are so many apps that can help you if you are lost. When you are done finding the hidden gems in a city, there comes a need to know exactly when to turn left and exactly what stop you need to get off.
My highest recommendation for those iPhone users out there? The update for Maps is a life saver. I have my phone on permanent airplane mode and lack of cellular data but the app still allows me to track my position. That way when I am home I can look up directions somewhere and the phone will allow me to see where I am. Sure, when you are trying to meet some friends out and it takes you an hour just to find a bus that could possibly get you there, you can get a little frustrated. Just pop in somewhere with wifi, look it up the location and do not let the fear of getting lost stop you when in a new city.
Did you know you can intern in London with ISA? See sample internships in London here.