I had been to London a few years ago, but was still excited to return this past week with my classmates to create a branding video for my ‘Current Trends in Media’ class. The purpose of the assignment was to simultaneously explore London while also thinking critically about how we might market the city to potential study abroad students. Returning to London, I thought I had already seen and done it all. But, as the week-long trip came to an end I realized that I had made a rash assumption. In the process of trying to brand the city for other students, I ended up branding a special place in my memory for my own experiences in London.
I would consider myself a decently city-savvy person. I feel confident navigating the public transportation systems in Washington, D.C. and in other major U.S. cities, so when my program advisors told us that we would be using the Tube to get around London I didn’t give it a second thought. That is until I had my first rush hour Tube riding experience. It was while navigating the Tube at around 6 p.m. that I realized a not-so-subtle difference between Copenhagen and London. I had become so adjusted to the quiet and simple pace of Copenhagen living that the hustle and bustle of London was more than shocking. Looking around at the people whizzing past me amidst the loud echoes of the approaching trains was almost too overwhelming. Standing on the yellow line on the westbound platform, I was waiting with fellow classmates for the train car that we would be taking to dinner. As the train approached I saw people pressed against the windows, looking as if they were getting ready to manually open the train doors for a breath of fresh air. No way would we be getting on this train. Boy was I wrong.
My trip advisor cheerfully told everyone to get ready to get on the train car. I thought to myself that she had to be absolutely out of her mind. There was no way 25 more people could fit in that train car without creating a serious hazard. Apparently the Tube has the same magical powers as Mary Poppins’ bag—it seemingly expands to fit an increasing number of people despite the fact that there is no available oxygen to be consumed by the passengers. So on we went, squeezing in like puzzle pieces between people’s limbs. At this point I was completely out of my element. I grabbed onto a railing and tried not to look at how many people were actually in that single train car. I knew that I couldn’t allow myself to comprehend the fact that if the train car for whatever reason broke down my fate would not be a good one, because if I did I would break into a claustrophobic sweat and demand that the train be stopped. I can’t remember the last time I had felt so uncomfortable. All I could do to calm myself down was to close my eyes and remember the number of stops (seven!) I had until I could run out of the train car.
As soon as the Tube came grinding to a halt at our Piccadilly Circus stop, I ran out of the Tube station and vowed to myself that I would avoid the Tube at all costs. Needless to say, I had very quickly developed an extreme aversion, if not downright fear, to the Tube. Never again would I put myself in a position where I felt so close to suffocation. That is, of course, until I found there’s really no other way to get around London than through use of the Tube. I dreaded entering the Tube station each time my classmates and I had to be in different part of the city. However, I tried not to let the terror of the Tube cloud the amazing experiences I shared with my friends.
On the academic side of things, I had the opportunity to visit Bloomberg News and Aljazeera. We had the opportunity to talk with media professionals about their careers and day-to-day responsibilities. It was really encouraging to see people with similar interests to my own succeeding as professionals. We also had the spoke with the Danish Embassy about the communications and public relations efforts they practice while representing Denmark abroad. Apart from the incredible visits to London’s media hubs, our program was also fortunate enough to go on a four hour bicycle ride around the city on a beautifully mild autumn afternoon, see a Broadway performance of ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ take a ride on the London Eye, and view screenings of several films by up and coming British filmmakers. I’ve never before had the chance to experience so much of a city in such a short period of time. But, after all the wonders of London I had experienced, I still had the Tube to deal with.
On the fifth and final day of our trip we were given several hours of free time to explore the city on our own. As people started to pair off and decide which areas of the city they would explore together, I decided I needed some time alone to decompress and to, of course, face the daunting fear that had been hanging over my head since the first day of the trip. I politely told my classmates that I was going to walk around Knightsbridge on my own and that I would meet them back at the hotel in time for dinner. Although I presented myself as collected and in control, I was still insanely nervous to have to get on the Tube alone, not entirely sure of where I was going. But, I decided that I had to do it before I left London, if for no other reason than to prove to myself that I could get around anywhere in the world. Even if it meant being crammed into a subway train car like sardines.
I walked into the station and memorized the stops I needed to transfer and get off at. While repeating self-affirmations to myself amongst the crowds that were confidently jumping on trains to my left and right, I took the leap (while minding the gap) onto the train and tried to make my nervousness seem less apparent. However, I don’t think I was entirely convincing as I soon realized that I had gotten on a train that was veering off from the line I thought it was headed on. Knowing that I was now literally off track from my original plan, I went immediately into problem solving mode. I hopped off the train at the next stop and followed the directions to the best of my ability to the correct train. Once I got on the correct train I found an empty seat and collapsed into it. As I sat down I realized that I had actually navigated the Tube myself. Things hadn’t gone as I had originally planned, but I still managed to find my way despite my original fear of getting lost in the sea of people scrambling to squeeze into a train car. As I stepped outside at the Knightsbridge stop, I realized that my navigating the train by myself was the simplest, most rewarding thing I’d done in a long time.
Sometimes being abroad isn’t about the big things that you experience, but rather about all the little things that you don’t think about. In fact, it has been my struggles with the small, daily happenings of life abroad that have been the most formative for me thus far. From awkwardly trying to figure out how to get off the bus without a Danish word for ‘Excuse me’ in Copenhagen, to feeling comfortable squeezing myself into a crowded train car in London, I’ve realized that no matter where I am I now have the skills set to figure it out. Although I went to London to brand the city for other people, the city of London branded itself for me with none other than a dirty train car.
