¿Dónde está Buckingham Palace?

I love when people ask me for directions. And I love it even more when I actually know how to point them towards their destinations.

Fortunately, the latter is usually not a problem. And sure, it's no big deal when I give people directions at home. But when people choose me to ask out of a crowd of people, it makes me feel like a native.

It's interesting to not feel like a tourist, even though I'm still relatively new to this city. Before arriving in London, I had traveled outside of America twice before, and I'm sure my fanny pack, fold-out map and piercingly recognizable accent didn't fool anyone. But here I became very comfortable very quickly, as many people in my study-abroad program have also found.

However, I don't think this would be the case if I were studying in a city like New York City or Chicago. London, unlike many cities in the United States, is much less metropolitan. The tallest skyscraper here is probably half the height of the Empire State Building. The population is still very much condensed, but the city itself is small. The tube system is actually reasonable (gasp) and gets you where you need to go at lightening speed. It is undoubtedly a thriving city, just a bit more tame. (Except when we went to see Jim Carrey turn on the Christmas lights in Oxford Circus. THAT, obviously, was a madhouse.)

But I think my favorite thing about Europe is how architecturally ancient the cities are. It's hard to compare it to our home of the United States, which is, technically, only 233 years old. Kind of strange to see that in writing, isn't it? There are no more ancient ruins, no large medieval squares that date back centuries (upon centuries, upon centuries). Traveling across Europe is almost like traveling back in time, with the modern world taking form around the ancient beauty. The grandeur of it all is almost overwhelming. And there is always more to explore.

So wait... I eventually have to leave? Bummer.