It is rather difficult to blog about a city like London. Here, inspiration whizzes by in every double-decker bus, inhabits every local pub, and flows throughout the area just as if it were the Thames itself. Perhaps that is why it has taken me so long to put together my first entry.

From the start of my venture, I was feeling thrilled, yet apprehensive and about a million other emotions before traveling to other side of the Atlantic. But since I have put down my heavy bags (Mind the pun, but this notion of packing lightly really should not be taken lightly) and I have maneuvered into the city using the Tube many a time, it’s as if I’m home.

The pace of the city is leisurely, but still very full of life. Each person I have witnessed is composed, even as they run to catch a train or wait in an impossibly long queue (line) to pay. Compared to the city I was just living in, Washington D.C., London has a much more refined and respectful sort of mood.

Londonders are also very friendly, helpful individuals, especially when they encounter very lost, confused Americans who are looking for directions. In the rare times when I have needed a little guidance around the city, local residents always bend over backward to help me reach my destination. If they don’t quite know where I need to go, they still try to help me figure it out, too.

However, living in London isn’t always a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit. Be on the lookout for my forthcoming posts to discover the many sides and sites of this city!

The London Summer Program 2010 group takes an outside tour of Buckingham Palace