Bringing in the New Year London Style

I had the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program while I was in college. I spent a year in London, England, and had the time of my life. Being a college student I was all about going out clubbing and having a good time. London didn’t disappoint me at all; it was a very happening party town.

I lived in the college dorm and had quite a few friends to go explore the city with. The night clubs in London are flashy and full of life. The music is always excellent and many of the clubs have live bands. When the weather permits dancing often spills out onto the sidewalk in front of a club. The culture is quite a bit different than in the U.S. as there was very little fighting happening in the bars and it seemed that everybody got along famously.

My gang decided to hit all the New Year's Eve parties in London that we could sneak into or get invited into. It was a night to remember. We went to at least seven different parties and we didn’t have to sneak into any of them. They were open for anybody to join in. We welcomed the new year in among two hundred people we had never met before but they all seemed like good friends and treated us like we belonged.

I was actually surprised with how friendly everybody was in London. I had half expected to be snubbed for being an American but everybody I met was genuinely interested in knowing more about me and my culture. I met some excellent people at that New Year party; some of whom are still my friends today. I learned a lot about life in the year I spent in London and feel it benefited my life a great deal. I have a wider view of the world for what I experienced and made some extraordinary friends in the process.

I’ve been back to London several times over the past ten years to meet up with my friends and share some memories. I always try to plan my trips around the turn of the year so we can repeat that first night we hit all the New Year's Eve parties in London. I’ve welcomed in the new year in many different places but I have to say the best party’s in the world are in London.