Entry 3: July 19, 2010

We leave in almost a week. This trip has gone by so fast. The other day we went to the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. I think it has been my favorite museum since we have been here. I am so interested in World War II and this place only heightened my feelings. The Cabinet War Rooms was the bunker where Churchill, his wife, and officers lived during WWII. They also did all of their work from this bunker. When the war was over, they dropped everything and left. Some of the rooms look exactly like they did when they left them after the war was over and some rooms are a remake. I loved the meeting room that had all the pins in the map and everything placed in the meeting room exactly like it was during the war. I thought it was funny that on the map someone had drawn a small picture of Hitler in the ocean. Then in the Churchill Museum, I was fascinated by the part that showed Churchill's daily life activities in the bunker. There was a picture of his favorite outfit, which was a one piece velour suit, and his family picked on him and called it a romper, which is where the word originated. That same day we also went to St. James Park, Westminster Abbey, and my favorite show, Legally Blonde the Musical. I am getting nervous about leaving, but I am also ready to see my family (only for like two days and then come back to Europe). Maybe they should just come here and let me see them so I wouldn’t have to go anywhere! haha 

Entry 2: July 12, 2010

So city life now is totally different than living in a small town like Sansepolcro. I really like it though because it gives me a different perspective on life. I have been to some very interesting things since I have been here. I went to a pride parade one Saturday which was a lot of fun. They had music and entertainment and a parade. I have been to a lot of museums. This is my second time in London and I think this time the museums are different for me because I actually have more background on the places and I know what the artifacts or portraits are about. In the National Gallery they had a room with Pierro della Francesca. He was from Sansepolcro, so I knew a lot about him and it was awesome to see even more of his artwork. There are some awesome girls on this trip that make it even more worth the while. We always enjoy doing things together. I can’t wait for many of the more awesome days to come. This week I am going to see a lot of shows like King Henry VIII, Lilies on the Land, Legally Blonde the Musical, and Hair. These are going to be amazing and I am so excited to delve right in to the culture of London even more. 

Entry 1: July 1, 2010

Getting to London made me feel like I was a world traveler. I was coming from the Italy/Switzerland program and I had to find a way to get to London all by myself. I booked a flight from Basel, and then I got on a train to the Victoria tube line. At the Victoria stop, I got on the district line headed towards South Kensington where I switched to the Circle line and made it to High Street Kensington and to Heythrop College! I really felt so accomplished and it really showed me how much I learned from the previous program. Once I was in London, I settled all of my belongings in my room, which I have to myself. I was pretty excited about that. That afternoon we took a bus tour of London. I really felt like I was in a movie where they ride on the double decker buses to look at a city and everyone is googley-eyed at all the fascinating buildings and sights. Our tour guide was pretty funny and really informative about each building and sight. Then that night we went to an Italian restaurant and when we walked in they said, "Buonasera." I was so excited to hear Italian and they would only let me speak Italian to them at the restaurant. I thought that was hilarious.

Since I have been here I have been to the Tower of London and the Imperial War Museum. I went to both of these places two years ago, but they have a totally different meaning to me now. I actually never even knew the name of these historic sites when I went two years ago. I think that is pretty sad and maybe shows how I have matured over the last couple of years. I really enjoyed the Tower of London not just because I got to see the crown jewels, but because we got to see where Sir Walter Raleigh was held hostage and Anne Boleyn was held hostage, executed, and buried. I think it means more to someone when they actually know the history that goes behind all of the historic buildings and sites. Like when we were doing the bus tour I really enjoyed looking at the buildings and telling Kathryn about all of the different types of architecture I could see. It really made me appreciate the buildings and of course made me feel smart and who wants to feel smart? Everyone! And at the Imperial War Museum, I was very intrigued by the Holocaust exhibition. Since being on the Holocaust Commemoration Committee in Raleigh, I have had such an interest in Holocaust Studies. It was so interesting to see that all the things I had learned from Dr. Happer's class last fall was exactly like the Museum. And every time I go into a Holocaust Museum, I always learn something new. This time I learned more about their life before the war and how no one really knew who was Jewish and the only time they could really tell was when they had different holidays. Going through the museum all I could think about was Mr. Glass and Mrs. Abramson. This was really what their life was like then and it really rips a little piece of my heart out.

On the up-side I got to see Logan! It was so good to see a close friend from home! And tonight is Romeo and Juliet in Covent Garden!