- “Cheers”
Cheers is a word you hear a lot in Britain. I’ve heard it used in place of “thank you,” “you’re welcome,” and just a general phrase, but only in certain contexts. I’m not quite sure what exactly it means, but I like it.
- You will walk a lot.
I am studying in Oxford, which is a very walkable city. Outside of that, I am in a course that is entirely centered around taking walks around the city. Both of these have resulted in me walking anywhere from 5 to 10 miles every day. I wasn’t really prepared for all of this walking but it honestly has not been bad! It took a few days to get used to it but I appreciate being so close to so much history and so much to do.
- Not being able to drive is nice but also strange.
I have been driving myself almost everywhere since the day I turned 16. Not saying I am a particularly good driver, I was actually really looking forward to not driving for a month while in Oxford, but I do miss not having to walk everywhere. And I do miss my car. The hard part is that I could not drive even if I wanted to since they drive on the opposite side of the road here (which actually is not as strange as it sounds).
- The weather is much nicer in Britain in July than it is in Alabama.
Most of the time it is around 70 degrees. I’ve had to put on my sweatshirt a couple days we have been here, which would never happen in Alabama in July. Truly living my best life.
- At many restaurants, you are brought a pitcher of water that you can pour for yourself.
I really like this because you don’t have to wait for waiters to bring more to you. Many places you pay when you order and they bring the food to your table, which I also like because you don’t have to worry about paying when you are done eating. This is done in a few of the nicer restaurants in Alabama, but not just regular restaurants like the ones here.
- Along with the last one, tax is already included in prices on menus or stickers.
I really like this because it kind of feels like I’m saving money when I check out because money isn’t being added to what is on the stickers.
Although there are lots of differences and there are definitely things I am missing from Alabama (I am actually dying for sweet tea), I am having a great time exploring British culture and am so excited to see what the next 3 weeks hold!
