Entry 3: July 19, 2010

With only nine days left in the program, a lot of us are starting to have mixed feelings about going home. Along with the excitement of seeing our family and friends again comes the sadness of knowing it’s time to leave. All of us have gotten so comfortable in London that it is hard to imagine we won’t be waking up here every day.

This past weekend was a travel break and some of us decided to take day trips to other cities within England. It would have been possible for us to go out of the country, but we really wanted to see more of the country we’ve been living in outside of London. Some girls went to Bath or Stonehenge and we went to the beach at Brighton and to Oxford. Both places were incredible and I really enjoyed getting to see smaller cities than London.

During our last few days here everyone is trying really hard to fit in everything we have not been able to do yet. While we want to go and see new things, I also want to spend time at all my favorite places in London. I’ve gotten so used to seeing the same waiters at our favorite restaurant and the same night guard working at our school and I feel like I don’t ever want to forget them. Luckily our remaining time here isn’t too busy so we have the freedom to spend most of it the way we want. With classes winding down and the preparation to go home beginning all I want to do is make the most of my time in London so I won’t ever forget the four weeks I spent here.

Travel Journal #2- London Summer 2010

We are almost halfway through our program and everything in London is still going really well! We all feel so comfortable here and have pretty much mastered the Tube system by now. Getting around London is so easy so we have the freedom to go and do whatever we want. We just had our first long travel weekend and several of the girls on the program decided to take the train to Paris. It was very exciting to go see such an incredible city but I think it made us all realize how much we love London and the experience we have had so far. None of us liked being strangers in a new city (again!) and we were able to appreciate how far we have come since our first day in London. I feel like I have made so many new friends that I do not know if I would have met otherwise and I am so grateful to have them be a part of my study abroad experience.

At first, I had such a sense of accomplishment every time I completed a simple task like running errands or finding a new dinner restaurant in London. Now, however, I feel as though I am totally at home here and have become a resident (even if it is just for a month) instead of a visitor. Even though we still have over two weeks left I feel like there is still so much I want to do and see here. Someone once told me that travelers should always leave a city having not done something so that when, not if, they return they have something to look forward to. This is exactly what I intend to do because I can’t imagine leaving London and never coming back.

Entry 1: July 1, 2010

London has been amazing so far! We have only been here for a few days but everything has been so much fun. In the mornings we have either one or both classes taught by professors from Meredith. The majority of the material we are talking about or learning relates to London and incorporates places or things we can see in London. Even when we are not in the classroom and are off sightseeing in the city we are constantly learning. This city is so full of history and rich with culture it is impossible not to learn something new or see something new every time we walk out the door. Heythrop College is right off Kensington High Street which is such an amazing location. We are in the heart of London and are surrounded by so many places to shop and eat.

Even though we have only been here for a short period of time I already feel so comfortable and at home. Getting around London is so convenient on the tube and it makes traveling to different museums and places very easy. So far we have gone to class and then had the afternoons to do what we wanted. Going to museums or to the Tower of London or just spending time in different gardens in the city are what we do mostly during the day. Depending on what part of town we are in, we then choose somewhere to eat and head back to campus to do our homework. I came on this trip with a couple of close friends but have quickly developed friendships with several other girls in my program. Everyone is getting along really well and we love talking with each other about the different places we’ve visited. I have had so much fun so far and am so excited to see what will happen in the next four weeks!