Otter Abroad: Home Away From Home

Approximately 5370 miles from San Francisco is a small suburb of southwest London called Kingston upon Thames (pronounced Tems). My time spent in Kingston/London was unlike anything I had ever experienced and I could not have enjoyed the days more. With the help of five other American girls, this foreign city quickly became my home away from home.  Before we knew it, taking busses seemed normal, clarifying that your credit card was a “swipe-card” became habit and Saturday nights at the Tun grew to be a weekly ritual.

Aside from classes, our favorite daytime activity in Kingston was undoubtedly shopping at Primark (very similar to Forever 21). Hours upon hours were spent in this department store scavenging though the fantastic deals. You could leave with multiple bags in hand and not have spent more than 25£. Another fun pastime was getting a 99 (a cone for 99 pence) and sitting down by the River Thames, but of course we could not do this until the warmer months.

Yep, life was lived leisurely in Kingston and not just by us temporary residents. At any time of the day central Kingston was filled with people. Among mothers pushing their buggies were men in business suites strolling with their colleagues. The joke was no one ever works in Kingston; they just dress the part. While the days were spent wandering aimlessly, the nights were filled with family dinners, dancing and the Kings Tun.

My roommates (Kate B, Kate R and Jessica) and I transformed from strangers into sisters within days of moving in with each other. Dinner became a nightly event for us four. Together we created some of the most delicious meals accompanied with even better conversation. The time after dinner was dedicated to getting ready, usually mixed in with loud music and silly dancing. Around 10 to 10:30pm we would catch the 85 into town and really get the night started.

You could always count on the Kings Tun because there was something for everyone. While some of the girls would hit the dance floor Lena and I would meander around meeting new people. Making conversation was beyond easy, in fact I used the same opener every single time I met someone, “Hey are you from around here?” Locals would instantly pick up on the accent and reply with, “Yeah, where are you from?” Once California was mentioned, they were hooked.

Above is just a snip-it of five incredible months. New adventures were had every day and unforgettable memories were made every night. Looking back it still seems surreal that I lived in another country but I would do it again in a heartbeat. For those of you, who are apprehensive about leaving California behind for a while, do not be. My best friend told me this before I left, “Everything you might miss out on here will be worth the experiences you will gain there,” and she was right.