Lessons Learned from London

This past semester here in London has taught me a lot about myself. Before arriving in London, I was anxious and nervous about what this semester would bring me and the group of people who I would be spending the next four months with. In the past I have been shy when it comes to meeting new people and instead stayed in my comfort zone with the same best friends that I have had since high school. After transferring schools from Iowa to be closer to home and the people closest to me, I was nervous to spend a semester in London, but also anxious to push my boundaries.

After arriving in London, I pleasantly surprised to be greeted with three friendly roommates and one that I was even able to travel here with, Katie. This fortunate situation, that left me instantly at ease, paved the way for the rest of the semester. I gradually got to know the other girls on our flat and the remainder of the participants in our program. I was shocked to find that I was not at all home sick; what with the busy itinerary of events provided to us by Josh and the constant company in the flat, it was hard to find a second to miss home.

One important thing that I learned here in London is not to judge anyone before you’ve had a chance to get to know them. I myself should have already known this, having being told that I come off as a really quiet person at first. The people in our program are all so very different from one another and that’s one of the things I love so much about it. There are those that take time, even months to be able to understand, and those that are so loud and outgoing that I feel I understand them from the first day. Our living circumstances and the busy daily scheduled surrounded by this group of people helped me to get to know a great group of individuals that I never would have met if it wasn’t for London.

Another thing that London has taught me is to push myself to try new things and be more adventurous. I’m ashamed to say that it took me at least the first month to brave the tube by myself, but it was an empowering moment. My friends and family could tell you about all the countless times that I’ve gotten lost or put myself in some hilariously awful situation, and that’s one thing I wanted to avoid during my time in London. But I’m proud to say that I now know how to read the tube map and almost never get lost during my daily excursions.

All of my travels during my semester here have all shown me how to be a more responsible and independent person. No longer is my mom by my side to hold my passport or present my boarding pass. During these past couple months it was either being organized and prepared or I would basically be screwed, for lack of a better term, during my travels. There was also the issue of money. I either had to learn how to balance my money during these expensive last few months, or miss out on all the fun activities and travels that I experienced.

One thing that I am very grateful to have experienced is the amazing group dynamic and interactions within the study abroad program. Coming from a huge university such as the University of Wisconsin, it’s hard to form close relationships and bonds with teachers and faculty. I loved having the opportunity to get to know Steven and all of the great British faculty members that have been involved in our London education. And let’s not forget Josh and Mary. Mary for being there to step in and either scare us out of traveling or receiving noise complaints, and Josh to be there every step of the way, doing the dirty work and planning the events called pound trips that we’ve all grown to love.

This semester has taught me so many different things about myself and about this great group of people I have traveled here with. I am very sad to already be leaving in just four days, but I know I will remember this experience with only positive thoughts and look back on it as my favorite college experience. I hope that my semester here in London has made me a stronger and more accepting person. I also look forward to seeing my fellow London classmates, and hopefully Steven back at the UW Campus. Hopefully someday I’ll return here to London, but until then I have my pictures and travel journals to remind me of all the great times we’ve had this semester.

Saying Goodbye

I cannot believe that we've already reached the point when it's necessary to create our last minute London bucket lists, but spring has arrived and in less than two weeks we'll have to say goodbye to London and return to reality. London has not only taught me many things about a country completely foreign to me, but also about myself. I am sad to see this semester coming to an end, but am living in the moment and spending all of my last days doing something that I haven't experienced yet or have grown to love.

The first things on my list are those that I have yet to experience here in London. I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to take a corny picture inside a phone booth or take the infamous stroll across Abbey Road. These touristy shots are a bit embarassing, and maybe even hazardous in the case of Abbey Road, but I know I can't leave London without them.

 Having missed our trip to Oxford, a day trip is in the making for this coming weekend. Another thing that I am anticipating for this coming week is lunch in the beautiful Hyde Park and a trip on the park's newest addition: a ferris wheel without the rediculous prices of the London Eye! While this new ferris wheel is a little less classy than the posh glass bubbles, it will give me the birds-eye view of London that I've been yearning for.

One thing that I'm really going to miss when I return to the states are the London markets. Our study abroad program has really made the rounds on the markets, but I still have two that I have to visit: The Burrough Market and The Flower Market. These visits will be packed into a hectic day that also incorporates The Brick Lane Market, my favorite one yet. This market has the largest selection of goods and souvenirs. My mission for the return to Brick Lane Market is to purchase the numerous souvenirs that I have failed to buy during these past months in London. After these purchases are made, and perhaps a little something for myself, I will venture over to the food portion of the market and endulge in the foot long burrito for my last time in London. However, I'll have to save room for Burrough Market, a market just for food!

While I'm on the subject of food, I have a heftly list of places to return to before I leave London. Now people always ask me with pity and concern how I've been handling the food here in London. Well, unfortunately I've been doing just fine. After my first ever experience yesterday of My Old Dutch Pancake House and Ben's cookies, I am hooked and much too late! I devoured a savoury chilli con carne pancake with sour cream and one of the loves of my life, guacamole. After this meal we ventured over to Ben's cookies for my first ever taste of these gooey, melt-in-you-mouth cookies that I had heard so much about (I mean we had to--it wasss on the bucket list). Other must have meals will occur at Churchill Arms, an amazing thai restuarant in a pub surrounded by flowers, something that you would only find in London and then Benito's Hat, my go-to Mexican restuarant when I'm having my frequent withdrawals from hotsauce and margaritas.

On a different note away from food, I can't wait for Hyde Park, and myself, to witness its first ever Mifflin, or Hifflin on Saturday and to spend it relaxing and paddle boating with the lifelong friends I've met here in London. My bucket list is still in the making, but I'm convinced I'll spend the remainder of my days in London with plenty to do and loving every minute of it.

A Classy Evening with Tea and the Ballet

This past week was filled with various pound trips and experiences that brought me closer to British culture. It was probably my busiest week here in London, but I loved every minute of it. The week started off with another trip to the theatre, then afternoon tea on Wednesday followed by Cinderella, the ballet. Thursday we went on the Camden music tour and were able to witness the London music scene and the following day visited the Linley Sambourne House and stepped straight into 19^th century London. Saturday was busy with a daytrip to Stonehenge and Salisbury and then Sunday we were finally able to attend a London football match! My favorite part of this event-filled week was when we attended traditional English afternoon tea at the Gore Hotel and then later traveled to the London Coliseum for Cinderella, the ballet.

 I had been anticipating our classy afternoon of tea since my arrival here in London and it was well worth the wait. The elegant Gore Hotel was the perfect destination for our classy meal of tea and delicious delicacies. Our meal began with scrumptious, petite sandwiches with various fillings, followed by two soft and delicious scones, topped with cream and succulent jelly. My favorite part of the meal came at the end: dessert. Dessert is often my favorite past-time, but these delicious sweets exceeded my expectations. There were melt-in-your-mouth éclairs, dangerously rich brownies, and small lemon tarts that were the perfect treat to top off the meal. The tea was, of course, a constant essential to the meal and was refilled throughout our meal.

            After tea, I was left feeling more stuffed than I ever anticipated an English afternoon tea affecting me and wanting to change out of my restrictive dress clothes and into my sweats, but I dealt with my discomfort and looked forward to my night at the ballet. I hadn’t had much exposure to the ballet prior to my sophisticated night out, other than the few trips to the Nutcracker over Christmas with my grandmother, but was excited to experience something new and foreign to me in London. I found the ballet extremely beautiful and moving. I’m not exactly passionate about dance, but was amazed by how beautifully the dancers moved and their flawless perfection throughout the ballet’s entirety. I was mesmerized by the ballet and impressed by how they were able to incorporate comedy into such a stunning performance. My trip to the ballet was a success and left me with a new interest in ballet that I never would have foreseen.

            This day where we experienced traditional English afternoon tea and Cinderella at the ballet left me feeling like a true Londoner. I have always been struck by how classy and elegant the people of London are and this day seemed to capture the essence of the sophisticated socialite in London. I loved sipping tea with my new friends and then ending the night with a relaxing trip to the ballet. This seven pound week made me feel more at home here in London and much too aware of the fact that I will be leaving London in less than three weeks. However, I need to live in the moment and enjoy London while I can, instead of dwelling on my departure date.