When traveling in the future, especially if you’re staying in a hostel, I recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and talking to new people. In our hostel, I said hi to the first person that had walked into the room and met a new friend. His name is Matt and he is from New Zealand. It was incredible to hear his take, what he misses from home so far (he is traveling Europe for some time), and the differences in slang used in New Zealand. He offered my friend and I a cap with the New Zealand flag on it too, which was incredibly nice of him to do.
We also met and talked to someone on the charter bus from Liverpool Street Station to London Stanstead airport. He was a very nice gentleman, really intelligent, and had a lot of knowledge about U.S. politics. He’s definitely one of the first people I’ve met who knows more about U.S. politics than I do. He also was able to point out some well-known spots in London while we were on the bus. Overall, I really enjoyed my interactions with both of these people, and I encourage you all to make simple connections like this when you get to college. It helps you learn about different cultures, viewpoints, and people.
