After a little bit more than a seven-hour flight, I finally made it to London. It’s kind of weird for an American to go back to the motherland. Anyway, it has been fantastic so far and I am really excited for this program. Everything is very user friendly and everyone is willing to help, considering that I am here in between the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Summer Olympics. The only downfall was the subway (called the Underground here) ride. It was about 45 minutes between the airport and the Gloucester (pronounced Gloss-ter) Road stop. Also, when buying a one-way ticket, make sure to keep the ticket because you will need it to exit the station (I learned the hard way). Anyway, there are only fifteen students total on this program so it is a very small group. At first, I was concerned because I am the only student from Drexel. However, for the most part, every person in this program is from different schools around the United States and there was no issue of fitting in. So far, the general shock of a new place has overtaken everyone (turn right, then left. Also, pedestrians do not have the right-of-way at all crosswalks). We all live in this nice place overlooking the Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park Gate. The rooms can be a little cramped at times, considering that it some rooms there are three people. However, generally it is a great place to live for the time being. Likewise, many shops are within walking distance of Hyde Park Gate such as Whole Foods, H&M, Pizza Hut, etc. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea provides many shops, but there is not much nightlife in the area. With a short tube ride (tickets provided by FIE), we can go anywhere. Today we explored Westminster area and walked around. There are many pubs in this area, also. Classes start tomorrow, but so far it has been a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to tell you more about the trip.