Just Touched Down in London Town

If you didn’t feel old before, just know the American Boy by Estelle will be 10 years old in 2018. Yeah.

Anyways, I’ve “touched down in London town” and I’m beyond excited! I’ve been to London before so I’ve done all the touristy activities, not that I wouldn’t love to them again. My previous program (in Madrid) ended on Thursday and my flight was Friday morning. We finally reached around 4:00pm and my head wasted no time hitting the pillow. Traveling is exhausting!

From the beginning I could tell that this program was going to be very different from Madrid. We were given schedules a week in advance, there were mandatory orientations to attend before the start of classes, and the program provided tours and tickets to a show. We took a little tour of London on Saturday, getting a feel for the city and using the tube. I love London’s subway system because it is so organized, easy to read, and gets you exactly where you need to be. This program also provides you with an unlimited Oyster card (the ticket for the tube). That means you can travel almost anywhere in London without paying for your trip there. It is a money saver! Everything in this city is expensive so it’s nice to not have to pay for the tube. fullsizerender-7.jpg

One big difference between Madrid and London is the weather. On a good day, the temperature may get to 72 degrees whereas in Madrid, nights barely dipped below 80 degrees. It was a drastic change to go from extreme heat to wearing a jacket out. But London’s weather is unpredictable. It could be cold in the morning, rainy by noon, then get hot around 3:00pm. You never know what the weather will be like so you just have to dress for everything. And always bring an umbrella. ALWAYS.

The courses I am taking this month are History of Modern Design and Food, Society, and Culture in Britain. I’m not as excited for art history as I am for the food class. But I know in both classes we go on field trips. For Food, Society, and Culture in Britain we will be visiting markets and going to afternoon tea! Fun Fact: I am OBSESSED with tea. If I don’t my morning tea, I wouldn’t suggest talking to me. As for History of Modern Design we get to visit museums and exhibits here in London, including the Victoria & Albert museum. I like that our classes take us on field trips because it’s nice to have a tour guide who will show us the parts of London they know are worth seeing. Of course it is always nice to go out and experience these things for yourself but having someone guide you around a foreign city takes some of the stress off your shoulders. Plus, getting to see these exhibits during class leaves more time for exploring city. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

Stay tuned to see how much I actually do in the city of London that doesn’t involve eating.

Until next time, Cheers!

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