Zerahann Ondieki: Blog Post #1

First Impressions

My name is Zerahann Ondieki. I’m a second-year nursing major in the Harris School of Nursing and Health Sciences. My decision to study abroad this fall in London, United Kingdom was based on my desire to travel around the world and experience different cultures. As a future healthcare professional, I believe it’s best to be culturally competent when providing care since you are going to have many clients from different parts of the world and the best place to expose myself to this is in a city that has diversity and just travelling in general.

Choosing London was easy because it is very diverse and so I knew I wasn’t going to feel completely out of place. As someone from a small town in Texas, this is a massive change, not just environmentally but socially. Overall, I adore the city so far but surprisingly, it’s not perfect. Here are some of my pros and cons as a very open-minded person in London:

 

Pros :    Everyone minds their business.

A+ Public Transport System(The Tube)

People CAN dress

Extremely Walkable

Insanely beautiful and diverse architecture

Everything looks aesthetically pleasing

Friendly and helpful people

 

Cons :   Questionable food combinations

Cars have right of way

Too many cyclists that will hit you

Fear of being pickpocketed

Currency conversion(from pounds to USD)

Rains 150 times a day

People do NOT know deodorant exists

Trying to find cooking ingredients(and failing)

Pigeons will try to attack you

Tap water

 

Fortunately, all the cons are things you can work around and tolerate. Nothing has taken away from my experience here and nothing could. All these things make up the city and without them it would not have its appeal. London is such a lively, vibrant city with endless opportunities for exploration, and if I could experience it all for the first time, I would do it over and over again.