London, Revisited.

Last Sunday, a few friends and I made our second trip into the great city of London. However, this time we ditched the tour and went on our own adventure.

The Tube

We got to the Tube station, and suddenly my group looked to me for answers. I said, "I'm from ILLINOIS. Why are you asking me to navigate for you?". Yet, with some extensive planning and asking a question or twelve to the right people, we were well on our way, with only one minor mishap.

The Underground system in London is flawless, and if I can navigate it with no problems, literally anyone can. I'm so proud of myself for getting this experience and not totally ruining it with stupidity! It really is one of London's best qualities.

The Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Seeing these two things was just incredible, and any picture I post will do it no justice. The history that these landmarks contain is indescribable. Literally. I don't have enough time, knowledge, or patience to type it all out for you. Do your homework though, it's amazing.

Seeing things like the crown jewels (no pictures were allowed of that, sorry!) and King Henry V's sword were just incredible. I couldn't believe it. I still can't.

Kings Cross

For the Harry Potter fans out there and the enormous geek in me, I went to Platform 9 3/4! Seeing the place that is so vividly described in the novels was amazing. I grew up reading these books throughout my entire childhood.

Baker Street

As a future English teacher, I am trying to visit as many literary places of inspiration as possible. So, seeing 2 21 B Baker Street was pretty incredible. I'm not the world's biggest Sherlock Holmes or Doyle fan. However, seeing this and remembering reading about his quaint little home in the novels really connected me to the literature even more!

Abbey Road

I've been quite the Beatles fan for as long as I can remember. So walking down Abbey Road, where those four famous men trotted for an album cover was actually pretty moving. And by moving, I mean we had to book it across that street because it is still a functioning road. Locals really aren't too pleased if you stop traffic in the middle of the afternoon!

Big Ben

The sight of this still gets me, and at night it was even more beautiful.

That's all for now! Keep Calm and Carry On!

Expanding My Horizons

I'll break this blog up into a few different sections, so bear with me...

1. People

On this wonderful journey of my life, I have met some of the most amazing people. Honestly, I would take a bullet for my group of friends. People from all over the world have come together and we have all created a bond that I am sure distance will not even be able to defy. I cannot put into words how thankful I am for this diverse bunch of pals. It's also amazing the commonalities and differences in cultures. Obviously, there is the occasional language barrier, but that has not seemed to stop us in any way. I am sure we will stay in touch forever, and at this point I cannot fathom departure.

2. Religion

A few days ago, I went into Winchester Cathedral. Obviously, it cannot compare to the spiritual experience of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, yet I felt an eerie connection with this place. Jane Austen, one of my many literary idols, is buried here, however that was not the answer. It wasn't until I learned of the turmoil that this Cathedral endured when it hit. It obviously began as a Catholic church but through the various wars and changes in kings and queens, it ended up as a Church of England, much like every church around her (unsurprisingly). Truly, the fact that this Cathedral was even still standing, much less operational, is phenomenal. I can only hope to be as strong and stable as this building in my life.

I also recently attended a mass in Winchester. It was essentially no different than any mass I have attended in the USA. Yet there was something strange about being one voice out of 80 that spoke and sang in an American accent. Possibly my first (and hopefully last) incident with culture shock.

3. Snow

This will be short and sweet. Thursday night, we received an inch and a half (maybe two) of dusty, white, wet snow. Classes were cancelled. For two inches of snow. No ice. Just snow. I thought this was ridiculous. I realized the severity of the situation when I learned that there are no snow plows in England. So the country actually HAS to come to a grinding halt when it snows. Sheesh!

That's all for now! I am heading in to London again tomorrow, which will bring another exciting post!

London, A Dream Come True

Today, my dreams came true.

I have wanted to go to London for years and years, and today my fairy godmother waved her magical wand and suddenly my aspirations became cold hard reality.

We started with a very fast and nearly terrifying bus ride from Winchester to London. This other side of the road business is nearly terrifying. In case you were unaware, driving on the left side also means you go through roundabouts in reverse. The first tine this happened, half of the bus screamed in terror.

Regardless, our fearless bus driver continued with the tour. We were able to see where various Olympic events were held and learned about some interesting tid-bits concerning England and how it was developed. Unfortunately, I cannot recall them at this moment, as I am still in utter shock.

The first item on the to-do list was Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately, it was closed today and there were only two guards on post. So no funny "trying to make the guards laugh" pictures yet. The palace however, was breathtakingly beautiful. I just could not believe that I was standing in front of it.

We then moved on to Winchester Abbey and Big Ben. This is when it hit me. I was living in real time the pictures that I have admired as a child. I began to weep simply for the fact of sheer amazement.

We also saw the London Eye, which we will sadly not be able to ride in as it is closed for repair, and Trafalgar Square and well as Piccadilly Market.

The most important part of today, however, were the bonds that grew closer. I have met an amazing bunch of people and will surely dedicate a blog post to them in the near future. They have already changed me as a person and I sense that this year's difficult goodbyes are nowhere near being complete.

That is all for now, but more to come soon!

The First Few Days...

On January 10th at 12:00pm, I landed in Heathrow Airport in London. The flight was terrible, with lots of turbulence and it was very crowded with every seat full.

Regardless, Winchester is beautiful. I have had a wonderful time exploring the city of Winchester and the university of campus.

I have made several friends ranging from areas of Ohio to Korea.

We have already ventured out into a few pubs, and will continue to do so tonight.

Tomorrow we are going in toward London, which will bring a more exciting post.

Cheerio!