I could give you the standard spiel about how I chose to spend my Semester abroad in London: “it’s a burgeoning metropolis which combines historical significance with all the advantages of modernity… etcetera, etcetera.” While there are countless reasons for my decision which actually hold up to academic scrutiny, that is not the point of this list. What I’m here to provide you with, my lovely reader, is a catalog of eight insignificant, illegitimate and, frankly, dumb reasons which led me to pick London. Most of these factors should have had absolutely no influence on my decision but, if I’m being honest, they definitely did.
#8 Harry Potter
You cannot have a list about England and not include Harry Potter. It just can’t be done. Harry Potter had a huge influence on me growing up (and on almost everyone else in my generation). My ultimate dream job is to work in publishing for young adult fiction, and JK Rowling had a lot to do with that. In some ways, I think spending a semester going to school in London is trying to make up for when that Hogwarts acceptance letter never came on my 11th birthday.
#7 Sweater Weather
Sweaters are arguably my favorite type of clothing, and I’m so excited to go somewhere that stays cold for more than a few weeks out of the year. The only problem with this is that I’m expected to fit all of my clothing for four months into one suitcase. I still haven’t exactly figured out if that is possible (I’m pretty sure it’s not), but I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
#6 Kate Middleton
I’m not one of those girls that is SO obsessed with the new princess that I woke up at 4 am to watch the Royal Wedding, but I do think that Kate is one of the most poised and classy women in pop culture today. Once someone told me I looked like her and, to this day, I think it’s the best compliment I’ve ever received. Plus, with all of the recent baby mania, what better time to live in London?
#5 Charlieissocoollike
I’ve been watching his YouTube videos since Middle School. He has a British accent, he’s adorable, and he lives in London.
Educate yourself:
#4 The English Language
In addition to my love of British accents, there’s more I love about the way they speak: they speak English. I’m a double major studying English and Humanities, so it was really important to me to go somewhere where English is the primary language. I tried my hand at foreign language and let’s just say it was not a gleaming success. I know that Wofford provides tons of study abroad opportunities in a bunch of different places and they’re really good at accommodating students that might not speak the language, but that just wasn’t for me.
#3 Tea and Scones
I spent last interim in Ireland and while I was there I fell in love with these little cranberry scones (I basically ate one every day). Who on earth is going to complain about a culture that embraces afternoon snacktime? Not me.
#2 Paul McCartney
If you like The Beatles or you saw the Olympic Opening Ceremonies you should understand this one.
#1 William Shakespeare
This is perhaps the only legitimate reason on this list. As an English major with some experience in theater, I have a HUGE interest in Shakespeare. Unfortunately, I’ve only gotten the chance to study a few of his plays which is why I was so excited IES Study London offered a class entirely focused on Shakespearean Drama.
Song of the Blog:
English Tea by Paul McCartney