Things I've Learned After Living in London for One Month:

The yellow traffic light means get ready to stop AND get ready to go.

• The pedestrian right-of-way is a foreign concept and the cars will not stop.
• Thinking about how much things cost in terms of US$ is painful and not recommended – everything is pretty much twice as expensive.
• Public transportation (both within cities and between cities) is really great and my Oyster card is the best thing I buy each week.
• The gentle lull of a train creates a great place to take a nap.
• To ‘alight’ is to get off of the train.
• I should take my groceries out of the basket at the register at Marks & Spencer but leave them in at Tesco.
• Nightly evensong is a welcome break in a hectic London day.
• London’s favorite color is black.
• The 9/11 memorial in Grosvenor Square across from the US Embassy always brings a tear.
• Every time I walk across Tower Bridge, I will have goosebumps.
• The River Thames at night should not be missed.
• IKEA is the solution to a lot of problems.
• The UK has nothing even resembling the ADA and you pretty much can't live here if you're handicapped.
• No need to get on a stairmaster, just ride the tube twice or three times a day (especially the Piccadilly line, which has the longest access escalators I have ever seen).
  
• Even if my bathroom items get stolen from the hostel shower, chemists carry a ton of American products.
• When ordering fish and chips and being asked if I want mushy peas or firm peas, NEVER order mushy.
• When London goes smoke-free in 2007, there are going to be a lot of unhappy people.
• Crossing the streets around Trafalgar Square feels like cheating death.
• Cheers means hello, goodbye, and thank you.
• Most days, I probably will need both my sunglasses and umbrella at some point.
• No matter how much I resist it, eating a McDonald's cheeseburger is an inevitable solution to homesickness.
• The post office not only sells stamps (that I have to moisten) but issues driver’s licenses, insurance, phone cards, is a place to pay bills, and just about anything else you can think of. But they’re only open until 5.
• While a cheap solution to housing, hostels suck and sneaking away to a hotel for a few days is fabulous.
• When leaving the hotel, you’re supposed to give them back your key and request it when you return.
• London loves dogs and theirs are amazingly well behaved.
• The opportunity to make repeat visits (for free) to all of the Museums is great.
• Any kind of music in St. Paul’s or Westminster Abbey is breathtaking.
• I love Queen Elizabeth Hall; and half price student tickets to the London Philharmonic.
• Starbucks here is like Walgreens at home – there’s one on every corner. But real Londoners know that the best coffee is at Café Nero.
• There are two sets of prices in cafes and coffee shops and it always costs more to eat in than takeaway.
• Canary Wharf and Butler's Wharf (both updated mixed-use areas) are awesome.
• London is beautiful and wonderful but I love being an American.