So the adventure has begun! After three flights, 30 hours in transit and only three hours sleep, I arrived in wet and windy London. First things first – coffee. After two cappuccinos I was feeling semi-human again, and ready to meet the group. I found a few of my fellow interns, along with Faheem, the London Coordinator for Absolute Internship. He bundled us into the transportation and we drove to our home for the next two months, in Stockwell.

My first impression of the accommodation was that it was neat, clean and well located, but it was very basic. We had to make a trip to Ikea to get a few essentials that hadn’t been provided in the accommodation. Nevertheless we have managed to settle in and make the place feel a little more homely with some strategically placed mess and a fridge full of food.

That evening we had our first sponsored group dinner in London, and met the rest of the interns. We caught the tube (an experience in itself – more on that next post) to Covent Garden. For the welcome dinner we headed to Nando’s. While Nando's doesn't change much country to country, it was an opportunity to meet the rest of the interns. After the dinner, our group is definitely more excited about trying the London dining scene.

The rest of the weekend was filled with our orientation and breakfast (a selection of pastries from the local bakery), some London exploration, and a second sponsored group dinner on Sunday night at Planet Hollywood in Leicester Square. I’ve had a great time bonding with my fellow interns, and we have quickly become a close group of friends. Although we all study in Australia, we have different backgrounds and live in different cities, so it keeps things interesting!

I start my internship next Monday on the 6th of January, so we are lucky enough to have been given a free week to explore the city. Keep an eye out for my next blog post for some of the highlights of London so far, including the tube, a bus tour of the city, and NYE on the Thames!