Entry 3: July 15, 2008

I just wanted to let everyone know what a huge learning experience this is and that, if possible, any student who can do this program should take it. Every day I learn more and more about the city of London, new cultures, the girls I am staying with, and about myself. I am experiencing life in a whole new way and getting the chance of a lifetime. If this opportunity comes to you, please don't let it pass by.

For the past two days I have done things that have inspired me in certain ways. First I visited a museum called the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. According to the museum guide, "it combines cutting-edge technology with iconic objects, documents, film and sound recording to tell the story of Winston Churchill's ninety year life." I also got a chance to look at the Cabinet War Rooms. These rooms were the actual rooms where Churchill stated "this is the room which I will direct the war." The rooms operated during World War II and were where Churchill conducted all of his business during that time. I was amazed by the skill of the designers of the rooms; they had taken pictures and designed the rooms exactly how they were in the time of the war. The halls were narrow and some were even hard to stand in with a person beside you. The sound effects made it noisy and I am sure they were working around the clock when they were living here. How lonely they must have felt and how important their jobs were. They must have been inspired by this powerful man and yet terrified of the possible failure of the war. I was so interested because I was looking at the war from a different point of view. It was not an American view it was another country’s. We had a bond in the war and knew that we HAD to win the war unless Hitler would take over, and I think we could not have let that happen. It was one of my favorite things I have actually seen in London and I thought it was done very well. I learned more about Churchill and the war than I thought I wanted to know and I am thrilled that I did.

The next thing that inspired me was a show that I saw today. There is a play in London at the National Theatre called “The Year of Magical Thinking”and it is starring Vanessa Redgrave (look her up, she is amazing). I was blessed to get fourth row tickets for ten pounds (20 dollars); six people went and we were all excited to see this show. It started on Broadway and got much acclaim. Redgrave's performance was said to be amazing. I knew that it was not a happy story because it was about an author and how she lost her husband and daughter in one year and how she reacted to it by thinking "magically" and wanting them to return. The plot was not what interested me... it was Vanessa Redgrave's performance. All this woman did was sit in a chair at the front of the stage and talk to us for two hours; I don't think I have ever paid that much attention to one speaker in my life. Ha ha. In her commitment to the role, she became the author and hurtful mother/wife. She talked to the audience like we were one of her close friends and she had an ability to start crying and laughing in all one sentence. I felt like I learned more about mothers and their relationship with their husbands and daughters because of this woman's struggle to accept these two people's deaths. Her character was very honest and at one point I just wanted to comfort her and say everything was going to be ok. When trying to be an actress it is very hard to consider being on a stage completely alone, the director only depending on you and the audience only depending on you. She had us in the palm of her hands. Coming out of the show I was confused and just in awe of her performance. I had so many questions on her choices and how she came up with one move or the other; I agreed with everything that she did but my curiosity was raised because of the admiration I had for her.

Sometimes I don't think that I am here in London experiencing all of this. It is such a blessing and I am looking forward to other people coming on the same adventure and learning more things. Now the only thing I am wondering is what could possibly come next?

Entry 2: July 14, 2008

London is all about museums. I cannot tell you how many of them I have already seen. Some have been very interesting and I have grown in my knowledge on the war and history of England; others not so good and truthfully I cannot remember anything about them. We went to see the Imperial War Museum. This museum was a wonderful interactive museum. We climbed through a submarine, walked through a plane, sat in hide-outs during Hitler's raid on London, and walked through the smelly trenches of World War I. It is so nice when there is a museum that uses entertainment as well as education. You should get the best of both worlds ... this museum did that.

The other one that I actually went to today was the National Gallery. It is full of paintings from famous days of Italy, Britain, etc. There was Monet, Piero de Francesca, Seurat, Vincent Van Gogh, etc. All of these people that I have learned about; their work was right in front of me. It was wonderful to see and I would love to go back again, we couldn't see everything ... there was no time.

I have seen one more show since I last wrote. I went to see “The Lion King”. It was very well accepted and even though I have seen a better performance in the states it was nice to see a spectacle show and not have to worry about a thing.

London is so huge and I am so busy. Most of my days consist of going to class, getting tickets for a show, having only time to do one thing during the day, and then off to a play or bed. My classes are very hard and I work every time I have a free moment.

Living in a big city is very nice. Everything is around you ... and you walk everywhere. I have no idea what I am going to do when I get home and start driving again. I miss my family very much and think of them often. I am enjoying myself immensely but am looking forward to just being home!

Entry 1: July 8, 2008

HELLO FROM LONDON!

My time in London has been wonderful so far. I have done so many things... I have been to Parliament, met two Members of Parliament, and seen shows at the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, and one musical... I have even seen the White Cliffs of Dover.

My favorite part so far would have to be the musical I attended on Friday July 4th. We got tickets to see a show called "Marguerite" starring Ruthie Henshall, who is one of my favorite actresses and is well known in the theatre community in London and the U.S. We got to sit in the 11th row! I was truly blessed! It was a wonderful show about when Germany invaded Paris during World War II and the struggle this woman has with following her heart and being able to love the person she wants to. It takes you through a love triangle that swirls you in and out of hope and despair. It was moving and I would go see it again and again. I could not take my eyes off this actress. Even if the lights were not on her, she was captivating. It was a wonderful night.

Then to my amusement when I got back to my dorm room there were fireworks outside and I had a perfect view from my window. Fireworks on the 4th of July in London. Ha ha! How ironic!

My next view days will consist of more of Parliament, a parade, museums of all sorts, and of course more shows... writing soon.