The Junior List: What I Learned

• Never underestimate the power of sign and body language.
• Always factor in time spent in (potential) traffic. I hadn’t really learned that yet because everything in Saratoga is 5 minutes away from my house. 
• Adding sir/madam to a request makes people feel special and more likely to help you. I’m a southern belle at heart. 
• Always know how much a meal is before you order it. 
• You paid so much money to get to [insert destination here], just go see that damn world famous art museum that costs more than your per diem for food.
• The term for exam proctors in the UK is…wait for it…invigilator. As in, “when you are finished, please turn your exam into the invigilator.”
• Eating is a cultural experience.
• Going out (to the theatre, to exhibits, to coffee shops, to museums) by yourself can be one of the best ways to spend an evening/day. People watching is fun, y’all.
• Crazy person or bluetooth user? On the tube, treat everyone as if they were crazy.
• When in doubt, play dumb. It pains me to say this as an aspiring feminist but, as a young woman, a lot can be done/explained for you when you look confused and shut-up. I know this because I often was confused in tricky situations (over a ticket price/my order/the bill) and far more was done to amend the situation (by ticket inspectors/barristas/waiters) when I kept my mouth shut then when I tried to explain myself. Gawd, I hate myself.

Things you learn when you live close to an international train station:

• Never be afraid to firmly tell someone no. But be as nice as possible - you don’t want him/her to shank you in the parking lot. Addendum: Do what your mamma told you, and don’t be embarrassed to carry your keys between your fingers when walking home at night. Pretending to be Wolverine will actually make you feel safer. 
• Always have enough cash on you to take a cab home if need be - but don’t keep it in your wallet. 
• When you’re walking around late at night/in a bad area/in my area, always have your confident I-know-where-I’m-going-so-don’t-mess-with-me-cause-I’ll-mess-you-up-harder face on, even if you aren’t confident, don’t know where you are going, and are incapable of messing anyone up. Addendum: there is no shame in hiding in a convenient store when a strange man is following you.