England: Natalie Elliot (A Home Away From Home in London)
Program: UW Global Launch in London
My time in London has begun to feel permanent with every day that goes by. Nearly every afternoon that I find a chunk of free time in, I open my apple maps and choose a new Pret a Manger to visit. I don’t necessarily have a local-the one on Gloucester Road is too small to work in-so I often find myself in random areas of London, enjoying the same three items.
I like to refer to them as the ‘holy trinity’: I always order a black tea, grab a Five Berry Bowl and a pack of chocolate covered corn cakes, and find the coziest spot to sit in. Sometimes, it’s to study, and I can spend hours replenishing my beverage and typing away on my laptop. It is the perfect place to lock in, especially because it is always open until eight. If I bring my noise-canceling headphones and my computer charger, I am unstoppable. Other times, I’ll bring a good book and take a few moments to myself. Those are the best ones, when I can balance my people watching with the words on the page. On rare occasions I’ll meet someone else at their local Pret, and introduce them to my favorite treats.
Though I have noticed more and more pounds leaking out of my savings account, I can’t deny that this new little routine has brought me a lot of comfort. There is always a Pret a Manger in the busiest places in London. You can duck off of Oxford Street or away from Piccadilly Circus and give yourself that little boost of energy to keep going. A lot of the time, the inside of the cafe will be just as crazy as the street, but that has never bothered me-I like to leave my lonely little room and be reminded that there are thousands of people in the city waiting for me to meet them. At the Pret a Manger in Bloomsbury where I find myself going back to a lot, there is always at least one family of tourists bringing food in from the ramen shop next door and a group of University students arguing in the corner.
My house back in the states was often just as chaotic as the cafes. With two siblings, especially before my older sister Maddie went off to college, there was always something going on. I used to hide in my room or jet off to the library when I need to focus-but now, as I am four thousand miles away from home, I find myself missing that hustle and bustle. My routine visits to Pret help satisfy the cravings of many kinds: chocolate, caffeine, and chaos.
Natalie Elliot
Program Name: UW Global Launch in London
Major: English
Hometown: Lake Forest, Illinois