This summer was the experience of a lifetime.
For the past few years, I had dreamed of studying abroad in London. This June, I watched my dream unfold before my eyes at Roehampton University.
I landed in Heathrow Airport with my friend, Paige, at 8 a.m. local time with no sleep and a lot of excitement. Finally, I was there.
Over the next four weeks I got to witness such historic sites as Windsor Castle, The Globe Theatre, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Each became the most beautiful building I had ever seen – until we visited the next one.
On the days we had class, it was up to us to make the most of our evenings in the city. We went in search of tea and scones, were awestruck by musicals like “Wicked,” walked the Kensington Gardens, road on a double decker tour bus and witnessed changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We even boarded the London Eye, much to my objection and fear of heights.
I took film classes three days a week while I was there. They were a lot of fun and I’m happy to say I am now a Harry Potter fan. Part of the classes involved day-long excursions. One was a visit to Oxford; the very last trip was to Stonehenge and the ancient Roman Baths.
Our days were spent traveling; by the end of the trip, I had public transportation down to a science. Paige and I even planned a weekend trip up to Edinburgh, Scotland, where we got in some hiking, and then over to Dublin, Ireland, for live music and the Guinness Beer Factory.
Overall, visiting Windsor Castle and getting to see the state apartments where previous kings and queens have held gatherings was one of my favorite experiences. I also enjoyed seeing “The Lion King” and “Wicked.”
The best part of my trip, though, was the friendships I made along the way. I met some really amazing people in my program, and was happy to share this experience with them. It was an unforgettable trip that taught me a lot about myself, and I can’t wait to travel more in the future.