Hello again everyone, this time from London. Today was our last day of our trip which
is infinitely sad, but I and a couple of others in the group drowned our sorrows in a
day of crash touristing. All in the course of the day we visited the Kensington Gardens,
Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London, the Hard Rock Cafe, and took
a boat tour of the Thames. It was most definitely a very London-esque day and a
wonderful way to close out the trip.
I have learned during this trip that there is an adjustment period each time one visits a
new place, but in time it becomes easier to assimilate into the culture of the destination.
I, for one, feel much more comfortable traveling and have a renewed love for being
abroad. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible and for my classmates
who only made the experience more enjoyable.
Sarah Saxton
Monday, July 29, 2013
My Last Day In London
Hello again, everyone! It's Carrie here. The past 2 weeks in London have been absolutely incredible, but I must say I think today was one of my favorite days, and a perfect way to end the trip! We started bright and early this morning to head to Kensington Palace and Gardens. When we got there, the palace was under construction, but the gardens were beautiful. Around 11am we headed to Buckingham Palace to watch the ceremony of changing the guard, but it was slightly difficult to see so we didn't stay long.
Early in the afternoon Sarah Saxton and I went on a River Cruise from the London Eye down to the Tower of London. We saw many of the most famous sites in London from the river, and luckily the weather cooperated temporarily. Since the boat stopped at the London Eye, Sarah and I had the opportunity to walk to an adorable bakery and ate some tea, scones, and macarons. We were also right by Big Ben and Westminster Abbey at this time so we found ourselves taking some quintessential London pictures, red telephone booth and all.
In the late afternoon we tried to actually go to the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time to go in. Instead, we went down to Oxford Circus and did some souvenir shopping. For dinner, Sarah, Kendra, Jake, and I decided to splurge on our last night and go to the Hard Rock Cafe by Buckingham Palace. We enjoyed a delicious dinner before coming back to the quaint little Sundial Court to finish packing for the long journey home tomorrow.
Overall, this trip has been an amazing learning and growing experience for me. I've made many new friends, traveled two of the biggest cities in the world, and found out a lot about myself along the way. I am so grateful for the opportunity, and I can't wait to go home and share all about it! I hope you all have enjoyed hearing about Our Tale of Two Cities!
~Carrie
Early in the afternoon Sarah Saxton and I went on a River Cruise from the London Eye down to the Tower of London. We saw many of the most famous sites in London from the river, and luckily the weather cooperated temporarily. Since the boat stopped at the London Eye, Sarah and I had the opportunity to walk to an adorable bakery and ate some tea, scones, and macarons. We were also right by Big Ben and Westminster Abbey at this time so we found ourselves taking some quintessential London pictures, red telephone booth and all.
In the late afternoon we tried to actually go to the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time to go in. Instead, we went down to Oxford Circus and did some souvenir shopping. For dinner, Sarah, Kendra, Jake, and I decided to splurge on our last night and go to the Hard Rock Cafe by Buckingham Palace. We enjoyed a delicious dinner before coming back to the quaint little Sundial Court to finish packing for the long journey home tomorrow.
Overall, this trip has been an amazing learning and growing experience for me. I've made many new friends, traveled two of the biggest cities in the world, and found out a lot about myself along the way. I am so grateful for the opportunity, and I can't wait to go home and share all about it! I hope you all have enjoyed hearing about Our Tale of Two Cities!
~Carrie
The Weekend When I Was a "Galway Girl" By: Sarah Staron
Two other students and I hopped the pond to the lovely country of Ireland for a weekend of live music, celtic folklore and breathtaking views. From the moment we stepped off the plane we were greeted by Irish charm and expansive greenery. On Saturday morning we took a three hour walking tour of Dublin and learned about the socio-political history. One of my favorite parts of the trip thus far has been touring the Irish countryside. It was inexplicably beautiful with rolling hills, glistening lakes, and some of the greenest greenery I have ever laid eyes on. Don't worry, I have pictures. Even with the "unseasonably" warm weather, I was still cold and unprepared for rain (I blame my Arizona upbringing), so I had to purchase an Ireland sweatshirt. An unforgettable weekend, all thanks for the First Year Honors Experience!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Falling Slowly
One morning in London I went to the Charles Dickens museum. The museum is located inside Dickens' old house down on Doughty Street. It was very interesting walking around the neighborhoods that Charles Dickens was so familiar with all those years ago. I tried to envision what it was like to live in the 1800's and it was amazing to see some of the structures that were still in place. Charles Dickens was a very prestigious writer and is still well-known today. On this trip I had to read Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Hard Times - So I am very familiar with his writing! Dickens was a very interesting man and obsessed with maintaining an impressive status in his community. His efforts were clearly seen in his four story house. The house and museum was beautiful. Every room was restored to its "original" state and filled with the authentic furniture Charles had owned. I toured his dining room, study, bedroom, and learned all about his life within his family and career. Touring the museum didn't last long, but I learned so much more about Charles Dickens by being in his environment. When I first started reading all the novels I wasn't fond of Dickens' writing style and would dread to endure another story. However, after learning all the struggle he experienced throughout his life, I have gained some respect for him. He was man who didn't agree with child labor and wished social classes would be generous and courteous to each other, which was rare in the Victorian Era. As the day turned into night I went and saw "Once the Musical." This was my fourth and final show on this trip and I knew this production in particular was going to be special. The story of this musical is about a man who is a very talented guitar player and singer who had his heart broken. He then meets a girl who inspires him to continue with his music and they both make an album together. The story was absolutely memorizing and reminded me the importance of individuals in my life and how much they can make a difference.
July 22nd: Cambridge
Hello, this is Autumn Pepper! Last Monday we all took a trip to Cambridge. It was so gorgeous! When we left in the morning we had to figure out how to get to the right coach station, but once we made it on the bus I think we all slept. Once we got there we made our leisurely way to where we were supposed to meet our tour guide, and then broke off to check out the little market happening right in front of our starting place! I bought a Jamaican chocolate muffin and a leather pen. You never know what you'll find! Our tour guide was so fun. She told us a lot about the college and about the community. I enjoyed her company very much! So many scientific discoveries happened in Cambridge. It really is so rich in history, it's unbelievable. We found the place where the tree stood that made Newton wonder about gravity. We passed by the buildings where the electron was discovered. We entered a chapel that was built during the Wars of the Roses. And then we had high tea! It was by far my favorite meal since being in London. We had little mini sandwiches, scones, and cakes--along with tea, of course. It was so filling and delicious! After tea we all relaxed a bit and did our own thing. Kyle and I went to the water's edge and just relaxed. It was so, so nice. Then we all came home and took it easy after a long day...but then Julie and I went out to salsa dance! London has truly been a surprising place. You can find so many great and unusual things to suit your fancy. It's the second to the last day here, and I'm going to HAVE to come back. Travel has taught me that I have power over my life and that I can truly just succeed in whatever I want to try. What this trip has given me is priceless, and I'm so grateful to everyone who has made it possible!
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| This was the Eagle: a little iconic restaurant in Cambridge. |
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| The grass was incredibly green in this part of the university! |
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| This is the breathtaking ceiling of King's College Chapel. |
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| A replanted tree on the site where Newton saw the apple fall! You all know what happened after that. |
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| Just a few handsome Americans walking through Cambridge. :) (this is our whole group) |
Friday, July 26, 2013
July 24th
This entry is for two days ago on the 24th. Time flies when you're having fun! Myself, Chole and Sarah Staron first went to the Docklands Museum. That museum contained so much information and knowledge that I knew nothing about; it was a museum unlike any other I'd been to. I am used to going to art, science, or history museums, but a Docklands museum was different in itself.
Afterwards Chole and I went to the Tower of London where we saw some torture tools, prison cells, the Tower Bridge, and of course The Crown Jewels. They were breathtakingly beautiful and well worth the hour we waited to see them. My body was covered in goosebumps by the time we saw them all; I was blown away.
I gave myself some downtime in the afternoon because that evening a few girls and I attended a musical called Once. You maybe not be familiar with this production because it originally came out as a relatively small movie, and now it is a musical. When we showed up we got automatically upgraded to better seats, and the musical itself was quite good. During intermission they turned the stage into a bar which was fun.
Traversing New York and London by myself has given me more confidence than I already had regarding traveling and more importantly traveling alone. I now feel more comfortable in taking risks in choosing my future setting for either schooling or the rest of my life. I think I would be completely comfortable moving across the nation, or the world. I love the idea of setting up shop somewhere new and discovering a new adventure everyday.
Outside of the Tower of London
Tower Bridge
The White Tower
Beautiful!
This entry is for two days ago on the 24th. Time flies when you're having fun! Myself, Chole and Sarah Staron first went to the Docklands Museum. That museum contained so much information and knowledge that I knew nothing about; it was a museum unlike any other I'd been to. I am used to going to art, science, or history museums, but a Docklands museum was different in itself.
Afterwards Chole and I went to the Tower of London where we saw some torture tools, prison cells, the Tower Bridge, and of course The Crown Jewels. They were breathtakingly beautiful and well worth the hour we waited to see them. My body was covered in goosebumps by the time we saw them all; I was blown away.
I gave myself some downtime in the afternoon because that evening a few girls and I attended a musical called Once. You maybe not be familiar with this production because it originally came out as a relatively small movie, and now it is a musical. When we showed up we got automatically upgraded to better seats, and the musical itself was quite good. During intermission they turned the stage into a bar which was fun.
Traversing New York and London by myself has given me more confidence than I already had regarding traveling and more importantly traveling alone. I now feel more comfortable in taking risks in choosing my future setting for either schooling or the rest of my life. I think I would be completely comfortable moving across the nation, or the world. I love the idea of setting up shop somewhere new and discovering a new adventure everyday.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
July 24, 2013
It's Olivia again!
Today, Cait and I took a trip to the Museum of Britian. The Museum was incredibly beautiful. The ceilings were the highest I've ever seen. There was such detail in everything that even the staircases were beautiful. There were various exhibits on art from all around the world including China, India, Africa and South America. Cait and I decided to split up after the museum and explore on our own. I went to find lunch and did a little bit of window shopping. The fashion here is pretty different than in America but I think most of the group really enjoys the style of clothing here. I of course had to make a quick stop at Starbucks where they serve different drinks than at the American Starbucks. Of course, I ordered a Venti which here is really the size of our Grande. Everything is smaller in London!
Today, Cait and I took a trip to the Museum of Britian. The Museum was incredibly beautiful. The ceilings were the highest I've ever seen. There was such detail in everything that even the staircases were beautiful. There were various exhibits on art from all around the world including China, India, Africa and South America. Cait and I decided to split up after the museum and explore on our own. I went to find lunch and did a little bit of window shopping. The fashion here is pretty different than in America but I think most of the group really enjoys the style of clothing here. I of course had to make a quick stop at Starbucks where they serve different drinks than at the American Starbucks. Of course, I ordered a Venti which here is really the size of our Grande. Everything is smaller in London!
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