I'm staying at the Dictionary Hostel in London which despite 16 person rooms and 4 AM false fire alarms, has proved to be fantastic place to live. There's a cute cafe and bar attached which has made it easy to meet locals and fellow travelers.

The hostel is in the heart of Shoreditch, which reminds me of Williamsburg, Brooklyn with well-designed coffee shops, bars and restaurants at every corner. I'll be surviving off homemade omelettes the rest of the week but the banh mi at Keu and coffee at Ruby was well worth it. Needless to say, I have completed abandoned my budgetary-restricted cappuccino limit already.

Everyone is suspiciously gorgeous in London and while I was expecting the locals to be cold (like in Boston, where we politely ignore one another) they've turned out to be wildly friendly and charming. It's been a lovely start.

+ Keep clicking the last photo above for a few more shots around London.