There has never been a better time to be in the UK as an American… well at least money wise… haha. As I’m writing this, the current exchange rate is 1 US dollar = 0.82 GBP. When I lived here two years ago, the exchange rate was closer to 1 US dollar to .5 GBP, so the exchange rate is definitely in my favor here. It certainly helps me stay within my budget if nothing else! I’m trying to think about what the most interesting thing I’ve purchased here so far is. The cost of living in London is pretty high so I try to save money when I can, although I did happen to find a really nice camel coat on sale for only 27 pounds! What a steal!
Having lived on four continents and moved across the world just as many times throughout my college career, people always ask me how I make friends, since I obviously have to make new ones every time I move to a new place. Aside from the typical school and work friends, I’ve found that the best way that I’ve met new people is, and hear me out, through dating! I swear almost everyone our age is now on some form of dating app, such as tinder for example, and even though they get a bad rep for being shady, I’m always using it as a way to socialize and meet new people. Sometimes you go on a date and you realize that you’re better as friends than anything more. Sometimes your date will introduce you to their friends who will introduce you to their friends and etc. While this method does require you to be a little outgoing, I’ve made so many good friends through this method.
My other favorite way to meet local people is to simply “go out and do stuff”. I used to have a personal policy where if I was invited to something, I would just go. It may sound cliché, but I’ve found that if you just put yourself out there, you’ll see positive results. Plus, if you’re on a study abroad, your school is bound to host events that other students will be at. You just gotta put in a little effort to say hi. It’s really not as scary as it sounds!
