Visiting “The Big Smoke” is a journey I will surely never forget. From every historical site, to museum, to architectural innovation, London was all I imagined it would be and then some. With the class being called, “London Culture & City”, not only did this trip focus on London’s history and literal physical attributes, but also the contextual attributes as well, namely culture. To be engrossed in the cosmopolitan aura of the city, it was truly mesmerizing to behold. For example, to visit the local grocers and compare products and prices to that of the US was what I would say is one of the most stark contrasts between the U.K. and home. The portions, versus the price of life were nearly the opposite of that back home. Granted this was expected, but still a shock nonetheless. Along with that, even though both countries speak English, the difference between “The Queen’s English” and “American English” was baffling. Even though it is the same language, the usage of terms, and accentuation of words was stark. However, though these differences were stark, I still found the cultural immersion within London all the worthwhile, and am thankful that I was able to partake in this amazing opportunity to study abroad in one of the worlds global capitals.