Hey all! So I’m officially back in the states. It is surprisingly easy to adjust back to the way of good ol America, it’s just my body has gotten used to the walking and the no preservative diet. My pre-conceived notions before I left were many. I thought that the British would be less influenced by different cultures, but discovered that their national identity is mixed in with pieces of everybody. I assumed that there wouldn’t be a lot of different tones of people, but noticed that the tones were spread out. Even the Scottish have a African community. There is just so much that I have learned on this trip I know it exceeded my expectations. All in all it was just like going to a new state, but with a completely different government system, accents, and… Okay so it’s nothing like going to a new state. However, it was a great experience I hope everyone gets to have. Travel tip: Make sure you go to the right airport, just saying. If you haven’t kept up with this blog I have a YouTube playlist of my journey where you can watch from beginning to end of my time before and in London. I’m lucky to go to a University that allowed me to travel outside of the country. Though the program was with a different college. While abroad I realized how lucky I am that Universities in the states offer so many options and opportunities some students in other countries never get. Travel tip: Check to see if your school offers any travel options and if they do take it, just make sure your dedicated and financially ready. There are scholarships and grants out there so look. This blog is destination world so as I travel more I’ll blog more :) Cheers and Laters! Ello There!
These last days are going fast. I will miss the church family we have made here for sure. There was a Christmas service last night that was amazing. We had virgin mulled wine which smells better than the real stuff and homemade mince pies which are traditional Christmas treats here in Britain. Though I have loved it here I do miss my COTR (home church) :) After service we made our way to the hostel for the night. It is interesting meeting all sorts of travelers. We had a room of about 12 people. Travel tip: Always remember a towel and padlock for hostels. The great thing about our hostel is that it allows you to leave your bags so you can travel the city. So city here we go for one last hurrah! Travel tip: hostelworld.com is your friend. Our hostel has many of the same things our program offered. However, light sleepers beware. Roommates will come in and out of the room and everyone has different sleep habits. Laters! Ello All!
So I haven’t posted in awhile. This time I want to discuss celebrations in London. There is of course Guy Fawkes day which is really big here, the Lord Mayor Show, and Remembrance Sunday which all happen in the month of November. A weekend ago I spent my days going to the three hour long Mayor Show and had a pretty good standing spot. The great thing about that is I got chocolate chucked at my head. The little children across from me also made it amusing. I had a London native explain some of the traditions that were displayed in the parade, but I talk about that in my YouTube video. It was a really great experience to see the differences of parades. Note I come from places where parades are life not just celebration. Thank you USA. For me the parade here in London had some great moments. Plus I got to see the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress… That might mean more to me one day. That night we got another set of great standing spots so we could see the big fireworks. We stood on a pedestal. Travel Tip: If you hate big crowds don’t go to see the fireworks because people could be all over you. The next morning we headed to the Remembrance day early. I really don’t want to mention this day because we were standing for three hours straight and I did not have a great sspot. I did meet some great people who also could not see. A father and daughter became my best friends because she was small enough to be lifted. Don’t get me wrong I was blessed to go, but I really wanted to see the Queen. I could have watched on the telly, but figured to go because it was right around the corner. I went early, but not early enough. Overall, I have enjoyed seeing how people in another country does things. Travel Tip: If it’s a big holiday in the country you are visiting go to the venue as early as possible to scout out a great viewing area. This week our group is celebrating Thanksgiving together which should be awesome. When life gives you a batch of Americans in a foreign country throw an American bash involving food. Video below! I hope you readers enjoy! Cheers! |
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