While in London, I am living in an apartment complex called Sutherland in Maida Vale. I am living with 5 other girls from different universities that are from mainly the northeastern part of the United States. Our neighborhood is in a very posh area that is also very residential. All the houses and apartments have really great Victorian style architecture and I feel really safe walking around. It is also really peaceful and clean. And the biggest positive is that there is a tube station that is super close by that is only a 5 minute walk. This makes it really convenient to travel around to various parts of London. It was so easy to learn how to navigate the tube system and I think I am pretty much an expert at this point. I was really nervous in the beginning about going places by myself, but as I kept doing it, I became used to it and I appreciate public transportation even more now. The only downside would be that since I live in such a residential area, there is not a ton of different things to do, but luckily there are still some cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores.
Living with so many roommates can be an exciting experience to make friends, but it can also present some challenges, especially when you’re sharing a relatively small flat in a busy city like London. One of the main challenges of living in a small flat with five other girls is the lack of personal space. It is hard to find time and space to be alone, especially when everyone has different schedules and routines. However, we’ve found that communication is key. If anything is bothering anyone else, we simply talk to each other or mention it in our group chat if our schedules happen to not match up to speak in person.
Another challenge of living in a shared flat is maintaining the cleanliness of the flat. With six people sharing a space that is meant for fewer people, it’s easy for messes to accumulate, especially in the kitchen. It is a tight space with people constantly going in and out, making up to 3 or 4 meals everyday. However, we’ve found that simply being more mindful of what we are doing in the kitchen can help keep the flat clean and organized. We also try to find ways to compromise when necessary for differing cleanliness preferences. I find that open communication and a willingness to listen to each other leads to us overcoming any issues that spring up.
Overall, living with five other girls in a small flat in central London can be challenging, but it has been really fun and eye opening thus far. It is nice to come home to a flat full of noise and just the presence of people. I am excited to see what the rest of the semester has in store.
