sherlock

I can’t quite remember when it started or the reason why, but I’ve always dreamed of living in London despite never being there before. I knew when coming to the UK that one of the first trips I’d make would be to the capital city. I was lucky that a friend and colleague from work was visiting for the weekend, and I also found out a high school friend had just recently arrived to London to start his Masters, so it was perfect timing to make a trip there.

Big Ben and the London Eye.

When I first got out of the train station, the first thing I noticed was the police sirens blaring in the air, the frequent number of buses on the roads, and the many pedestrians crossing the streets. I was entering a big city, and I sensed a feeling of familiarity — it felt like being back home in Toronto.

Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.

At first it felt really nice — I always knew I was more of a city person and being in London confirmed that. Being immersed in the hustle and bustle was not scary or terrifying. I was quite surprised by how easy it is to navigate the city using the Tube, London’s underground subway. But after a while, I started to really miss Toronto. London was still a new place to me, and the familiar feeling made it more prominent that it wasn’t the same as home. I felt more homesick at that moment in London than I ever did in the four weeks I’ve been in Glasgow.

Walk along River Thames, including the London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and The Gherkin.

Despite this, as time went on I learned more and more about the city and what it has to offer, and eventually I started to enjoy being in the city I’ve always dreamed of being in. It is a very touristy city with people visiting from all over the world. There are so many beautiful sights to see, and many green parks to walk through and breathe in fresh air. There are also many special streets and buildings with rich history. I was lucky and caught a great weekend for exploring — it only rained one morning of the four days I was there.

Four of The Royal Parks: Regent’s Park, St. James’s Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens.

In a previous post about the reasons why I chose to study abroad on student exchange, I had mentioned that I considered applying to study in London, but ultimately decided on Glasgow. Now that I have been in London, I see that my initial thoughts were correct. London is a fantastic city and I still would consider living there one day. But for my student exchange, I was looking for an experience that stretches my boundaries . I was ready for a change, and as much as I love London, I think Glasgow really gives me the change I was hoping for.

I will definitely be back in London again at some point (likely more than once!).

Different streets of London, including Oxford Street and Baker Street.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum (eep!) and North Gower Street where they filmed BBC’s Sherlock (double eep!).

Phoenix Theatre — saw “Once” the musical. I wrote in a previous post that I wanted to see it, and I am very happy I did! One of the highlights of my trip.