When I first started college, I knew that I wanted to study abroad. One of my majors is International Relations, so it is definitely highly recommended by our advisors to study abroad and actually experience the world. Being in my freshman year, I didn’t have any idea of where or when I wanted to go, I just knew that I had to go.
Fast forward to about halfway through my sophomore year, and I was sitting in my English class (my other major) and someone came into our class talking about a summer program held in London for about five weeks. My interest was piqued, and I felt that this program was perfect for me. I went home that night and looked up the application, and started with my essays. The next week I was sitting in my Spanish class, and another person came into our class to talk about a different summer program – right after the London one – held in Spain. Again, I was super interested, and thought I would enjoy the program. I looked up the application and trip information and decided to apply to both programs, and go to whichever one I was accepted into.
I turned in my applications, and patiently waited for about a month or so. As it turned out, I ended up getting into both programs, and I was so happy, but also super confused about which program to choose. Both England and Spain have been on my travel bucket list ever since I could remember, so I had no idea how to choose between the two. I agonized about it for a couple of weeks – I am an extremely indecisive person – until finally I called up my parents and asked for their advice. My dad told me point blank that I should do both programs. Oddly enough, the thought never crossed really crossed my mind, especially since I didn’t want to spend a whole summer away from my family (and probably more importantly my puppies and kitties). I thought about it, and with my parents full support, I committed to both programs.
To be completely honest, I was excited, but I thought I would be more excited, if that makes sense. When I told other people about it, I didn’t have strong feelings either way, and sometimes the other person seemed to be more pumped up about it than I did. I think that’s because I was subconsciously super nervous, since the only time I had left the country before was to go to Mexico when I was 5, to volunteer. I had my brother and my mom, and later my dad, with me, so it wasn’t scary at all. This would be the first time that I would be leaving the continent, and it was by myself. After the first meeting for the England program, I actually came home and had a panic attack because I was so scared. I started to regret my decision, and had a lot of nerves about going.
The nerves started to ease since I had finals to focus on, and once I was finished with the school year and home for the summer, I was still really scared, but I was getting more excited. I waited until the night before to finish packing, which was a huge mistake, and went to the airport the next day with my parents. Once I was on the plane, it finally started to feel a little bit real that I was going, but I don’t think I quite believed I was going to London until I was actually there. Getting an international SIM card was a great idea, because I was able to call an Uber to get to my homestay, rather than figure out the tube system with my giant suitcase.
When I arrived at my homestay, I was instantly homesick, because I was at a home but it wasn’t mine. My homestay mom was so sweet and fixed me some lunch, and it was so nice to have a home cooked meal. I did miss my own mom, but it was nice having someone there to fix me some food when I was completely, and utterly exhausted. The first couple of nights were really rough because I was missing home a lot. I also had a lot of time to think about and miss home since classes hadn’t started yet, which probably made it a lot worse. I got through the homesickness with Harry Potter and my favorite Game of Thrones book, also my sweet roommate and homestay family, and once classes started, I was fine. For some reason, I was also super worried about traveling to Spain by myself, and couldn’t stop thinking about it for the first week. After getting around London, though, and visiting the surrounding cities, my anxiety about that eased up a bit. I only had two panic attacks in the beginning, and I’m actually really proud of myself that I didn’t have more when trying to use the tube for the first couple of times.
Now you know a bit of the background to my study abroad, here’s how it changed my life!
I had to rely completely on myself for probably the first time ever.
When I first started college, I thought I was relying on myself, but in reality I was still leaning heavily on my parents. I called them everyday, texted them multiple times a day, and still asked their advice constantly. When I was in London, I texted them once a day to tell them I was still alive, but other than weekly Skype calls, I didn’t talk to them a whole lot. I made decisions for myself, and had to figure out how to use the tube systems and get around the city on my own. Yes, it was scary – terrifying – in the beginning, but after a while, I got used to it, and enjoyed relying on myself and no one else. I’ve always been an independent person, but this was independence on a whole new level.
I learned how to be alone.
Again, I have always been an independent person, but I think I’ve always been a little scared to be alone with myself, especially when I’m so close with my family. I don’t have a huge family, but since we’re close knit, I usually spend most of my time with them. Being in London taught me how to be alone, and that it isn’t scary, but actually quite enjoyable. My roommate and I rode the tube together to class, but usually after classes we went our separate ways. Yes, it was scary to ride the tube completely alone for the first time, but I came to really enjoy it. Don’t get my wrong, I enjoyed her company, but I also loved my time alone on the tube, where I got to read on my Kindle and just listen to music. Long tube rides also didn’t bother me in the slightest, because it just meant I had more time to read, and I ended up reading about six or seven books in my five weeks spent in London. I also wasn’t bothered to eat alone, and actually learned to love to people watch while sipping coffee.
I learned how to take risks.
First of all, I took a risk by studying abroad, since it was something that scared me, but it ended up turning out wonderfully. I guess I’ve always been more of a physical (if that’s even the right word to use) risk-taker, in that I’m not afraid to jump off a cliff into a pool of water (check out this vlog to see what I’m talking about), go on crazy roller coasters, or anything like that, but other risks like forcing myself out of my social comfort zone terrify me. I’m not one to strike up a conversation with a stranger, so going to two whole new culture with two different groups of people from my university who I didn’t know at all, and go to a whole new continent in general was taking a huge risk for me. I don’t mean that I didn’t want to travel, quite the opposite actually. I’ve always wanted to travel, but I definitely let my anxiety hold me back. Actually doing these programs was a huge step for me, and I learned how to take risks, and that they result in wonderful, wonderful things.
Caring about what others thought of me stopped becoming something I worried about.
With so many other things to worry during my time spent in London and Spain, worrying about what others thought of me quickly got put on the back burner. I also started getting so much for comfortable and confident in myself by navigating through the different cities I was in, that I just felt so much better in my own skin. Those theoretical things other people thought about me started not to matter, because all I knew was I was happy with myself, so I didn’t care what other people thought about me. I realized things people thought about me – people I don’t even know – really don’t matter at all, because chances are, I’m probably never going to even talk to those people.
I learned not to judge others before getting to know them.
Something that happens when you go to a foreign country with a group of people you don’t know is judgement. On the first day of classes I found myself making assumptions about people before I even talked to them. Throughout both programs, I learned not to judge someone before getting to know them, or assume that they are a certain way, because oftentimes you will be wrong. On my London program there was a deaf girl, and she was one of my favorite people to talk to and get to know. Her outlook on life and people was incredible; some people in the program were unintentionally very rude to her, but she tried to understand where they were coming from, and saw that they weren’t trying to be rude, and didn’t even get upset about it. Her first reaction wasn’t to immediately get defensive and mad, but try to understand why they would unfairly be rude in the first place. If we all had an outlook on life like hers, I think we would all be a lot happier.
I also learned that people aren’t as scary as I thought they were, and starting a conversation is actually pretty simple.
I’ve never been one to strike up a conversation very easily, but being exposed to a ton of different types of people taught me that people aren’t as scary as they seem. Just because someone isn’t actively talking or smiling, doesn’t mean they aren’t open to talk. Now I definitely never started a conversation on the tube because people appreciate silence, but if I was waiting in line at a busy coffee shop or in a more “social” setting, it was fun to talk to people who were a lot different than me. You really learn a lot about people, and it makes you look at yourself differently.
Eight words: strawberry-lime cider, halloumi cheese, and patatas bravas.
Okay, these things didn’t so much change my life, but ohmygosh I got addicted to them. Strawberry-lime cider was my drink of choice in London, and I fell in love with halloumi cheese. It was absolutely everywhere in London, but I haven’t seen it here in the states. I have heard that Trader Joe’s has it, so I’ll be on the look out, but it definitely isn’t as accessible here. While in Spain, patatas bravas were my friend’s and I’s favorite bar food. We’d grab some after class and snack on them before our (very late) dinner, and wow are they delicious. I haven’t tried to make them since I’ve been home, so I really want to see if I can make them as good! I’m betting on probably not, but hopefully I can get them close.
Going to museums and just simply looking at art made me look at myself differently.
There’s something about looking at art from hundreds of years ago that starts to change your perspective. It’s easier to understand how life was like back then, and also how life now is different. Looking at art also just forces you to reflect, so you find yourself reflecting on more than the artwork in front of you, whether it is a painting, sculpture, or something else. I went to museums in both London and Spain with my study abroad group, and also by myself, and looking at a ton of art really teaches you how to look at things differently, and just reflect in general. I never thought I would enjoy museums so much, but I definitely love them now.
I immersed myself in two different cultures, and it made me look at my own – and myself – differently.
Like going to museums and looking at art from different places from around the world, immersing yourself in different cultures teaches you so much that you really can’t learn anywhere else. Experiencing two very different places was so beneficial for me, and I learned to be so much more open to other people’s customs and way of life. Just because something or someone is different doesn’t mean they’re wrong. You can learn so much from different people and places, as long as you keep an open mind about it. Not only did I learn about these places, but I learned so much about my own culture by comparing it to those of London and Spain. People told me I would learn so much, but I don’t think I quite believed them until I was in these places, actually experiencing them.
I now have the undeniable urge of the travel bug.
Once you get a taste of the world, all you want to do is travel and see other places. Countries that I really didn’t have an interest in visiting before are now places that I really want to see. Basically, there isn’t a place that I don’t want to see, and I have a better understanding that every place in the world has something you can learn from.
Studying abroad this summer really did change me for the better. I learned so much about myself, and I really wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world. If you’re considering studying abroad, or even just traveling, go and do it! You won’t regret it, and you’ll probably have an incredible experience. Even if it isn’t completely life-changing, I guarantee you’ll learn at least one thing.
As you probably know, I spent this summer studying abroad in London and San Sebastián, Spain. I’ve already done an overview of my time in London, so I thought it was about time I did one for my trip to Spain. I spent four weeks in San Sebastián, with the last couple of days in the fourth week being in Barcelona, and I spent a fifth week in Madrid. I got to travel all over the Basque Country (where San Sebastián is located), and I definitely fell in love with it! The Basque Country is so beautiful, and is a very charming part of Spain. Here’s some photos!
My time in San Sebastián was so much fun – we went to cooking classes, ate at a Michelin Star restaurant (oh la la), went on a boat tour, saw amazing fireworks from a boat during la Semana Grande (a week long party in the city, basically), tanned at the beach almost every day, ate amazing gelato, learned about Spanish culture, got to practice our Spanish, and just generally had tons of fun. It was actually surprisingly a lot of schoolwork, but I can’t complain because I got to do a lot of it at the beach 😉
After our four weeks in SS, we headed to Barcelona!
Even though I spent the majority of my time in San Sebastián, and only about four days in Barcelona, I quickly fell in love with Barcelona. The atmosphere was so fun, the streets weren’t too crowded, the food was wonderful, and the beach was beautiful and warm. Some places you just instantly feel a connection to, and that was Barcelona for me. I can’t wait to go back one day!
After Barcelona was Madrid for about five days!
I’m going to be doing another post that’s a reflection on the whole study abroad experience, as well as some tips, so be ready for that!
I hope you are having or have had a great Labor Day! With Labor Day Weekend almost over, back to school season is here, and I’m sure many of you are already at school or are getting ready to be. My university doesn’t start until the 28th of September, so I still have a couple of weeks to go, but there’s still so much to get ready! I remember how overwhelmed I felt the summer before my freshman year, because I had no idea what to pack, or if I was forgetting anything. Because of that, I ended up making a huge master list of things that I would need, after hours of looking at lists on Pinterest. I don’t know why I never thought of putting it on my blog to share with college freshmen faced with the same problem I had, but alas here we are and I have finally made one. The list is broke up into sections – my favorite ways to make lists – and there is a box to add anything extra you think you’ll need. Without further ado, here it is!
Since I’ll be living in my own apartment this year (eeeek!) I have a list made for that, and it’s pretty similar to this one, so it’s been nice to have a refresher. I’ll be posting about what I’ve gotten for my apartment, and of course I’ll be having an apartment tour! I am so excited to decorate, I can’t even explain. Now that I’m home from Europe my mind is definitely stuck on getting back to school and decorating for my apartment, so be ready for tons of posts about that! Anyway, I really hope this list was helpful and that many of you will be able to use it!
It’s around that time of year again – Target is rolling around all of their school supplies, stores are having back to school clothing sales, and universities are beginning to send out dozens of emails to ready students for the coming year. August always takes me by surprise, because it seems like the second half of the month is solely dedicated to getting ready for the new school year. I remember how nervous I was in the August between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college, because the realization of leaving home and embarking on a whole new chapter of my life hit me hard. I spent the beginning and middle of the summer celebrating the fact that I was done with high school, but then it dawned on me that I would be leaving in a month to start a whole time in my life. The nerves hit hard and fast, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself. It can be a very scary transition, because it’s probably one that you’ve never experienced before. Just because it’s new and scary, though, doesn’t mean that it can’t be exciting at the same time! It’s important to try and work through the nerves and anxiety, and get excited to start university. Here’s some tips on how to do just that!
1. Focus on buying things for your new space.
Whether you’re going to be living in on-campus dorms, in a sorority, or maybe even your own apartment, it’s important to make sure you have everything for your new living space. Focusing on buying everything you’ll need can also get you excited about moving in, so it’s a win-win situation. You’ll be less stressed about forgetting something, and you’ll also be focusing your nervous energy into doing something productive.
2. Look at clubs on campus, or ways to get involved, before you move in.
Knowing what kinds of clubs or groups you want to join can make the transition a lot easier, because you know for sure you’ll have a way to meet people and make friends. That can be one of the scariest parts of going to college, the fear that you won’t be able to make new friends or find people who you’re comfortable with, so it really helps to have some places to check out to get to know people naturally!
3. Print out pictures to hang up in your room before you leave.
One of my biggest concerns before I left college was if I was going to be super homesick or not. I had never really been away from home for that long before, just week long summer camps, so it was really scary to imagine being away for months at a time. I knew I would visit on some weekends, but it was still the first time that I wouldn’t be living with my family. In order to remind myself of my family and friends, I printed out lots of pictures to hang up in my dorm room, and they were some of the first things to go up to make sure I didn’t get too homesick! This honestly helped so much to calm my nerves, and I highly suggest doing it!
4. Memorize your class schedule, and where those classes are.
I will be the first to admit that my sense of direction is completely terrible. I still get lost at the mall in my hometown, sadly, so the thought of trying to navigate a huge college campus was very daunting. My university actually has an app with a map similar to how Google Maps works, in that it finds your location so you can see how to get to certain buildings, in case you have absolutely no idea where you’re going (this happened to me a lot freshman year). I made sure to download it before I left in September, and I looked at the where the buildings all of my classes were in so I would have some idea of where I was going.
5. Try to spend as much time with your friends as possible, especially if you’ll be going to different schools.
Since they’re in the same boat as you, your friends can be great people to talk about your worries for the next year. They are probably just as nervous as you, so it can be beneficial to talk to each other, just to have some people to relate to! It can really help to realize you aren’t alone, and that other people are in the same position as you. It’s super easy to feel like you’re the only person who is excited but still very worried to be going to college, since everyone seems like they can’t wait to get out of their house and go. That is definitely not the case, though, and more often than not, if you talk with your friends about some of the things your nervous about, they’ll tell you what their worried about.
College is definitely something to be excited about, but it’s hard to see that when you’re struggling with anxiety about it. Just know that everyone else is in the same boat as you, and that you aren’t the only one struggling with the nerves. Try and think about all of the fun you’re going to have soon, and things will get a lot easier! Trust me that college really is so much better than high school, and that you will meet some really great people and have some amazing experiences.
I’m sure I’ve made it painfully clear how obsessed I am with Harry Potter, so once I got to London for my study abroad program, I made sure to buy tickets to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour. I got to go during the last week of my program, so it was a great way to end my time in London! Since I finally have some down time here in Spain, I thought it would be the perfect time to write a post about my time there, share all of the photos I took, and give you some tips on going! Without further ado, here they all are!
Tips:
-Buy your tickets ASAP! As soon as you know the tentative date in which you will be going, buy your tickets – I had to buy mine a month in advance, and even that I was pushing it.
-If you get there really early like I did, kill some time in the gift shop and make a plan of what you want to buy in case you’re in a time crunch afterwards! My friend and I did this, and we’re really glad we did because we only had about 20 minutes after the tour to buy souvenirs in the shop because they were closing.
-Take your time during the tour, and pay attention to small details! There are a lot of cool tidbits of information everywhere.
-Don’t be afraid to look like a dorky tourist – take all of the pictures! I’m so glad I brought my camera and took cheesy pictures of myself in front of platform 9 and 3/4 because I will treasure it forever!
-Keep aside some money for souvenirs, there are some good ones! But at the same time, don’t waste your money on things you could buy cheaper on Amazon.
-Make sure to sit down at the little cafeteria about midway through! It’ll be really nice to rest your feet, and you can have some Butter Beer while you relax! They also had Butter Beer ice cream when I went, and it was so amazing.
-The souvenir Butter Beer cup is only about a pound extra, so if you want a cheaper keepsake from the studios, go for that!
I’m so glad I got to go to the tour, and it was the best way to end my London study abroad. I’m also really glad I’m getting this post up right around the time that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child came out! Everything is kept in great condition, the staff is really great, and you really do feel like you’re in the movies. If you find yourself in London, I highly recommend going, especially if you’re a Harry Potter fan!
While preparing for my study abroad, I didn’t really give myself time to stop and think about the actual act of getting over here to Europe. I busied myself with packing lists, Pinteresting things to do, making bucket lists, and all other things pertaining to organization, so when it came to the night before I left, I started to freak out. Flying has never bothered me, and I actually really love it. The part before and after is what really makes me nervous: navigating the airport, and getting to where I am staying. Security is always so fast paced that I feel like I get whiplash and don’t have any time to be organized, which is what I thrive on. I am also always nervous that I’ll somehow end up missing my flight, even though I arrive at the airport at least three hours early. Through my travels, I’ve developed a couple of habits that make traveling a lot easier, so I thought I would share them with you, because I’m sure there are other anxious travelers out there!
1. Have a plan, and stick with it.
I am a planner. My actual, physical planner is my best friend for that reason, and I always feel ten times better when I have a solid strategy laid out for how I’m going to tackle the airport, and specifically getting through security and finding my gate. The night before I left for England, I made sure I knew where everything was located in my bags, I printed out all of the copies for my flight tickets, passport copies, study abroad info, homestay and dorm address, etc. This helped so much because I knew I would be able to quickly pull something out of my bags if need be, and I also knew where I was going to go in the airport and at what time. Basically as soon as I get out of security, I go to the T.V.’s to see if my flight info is up yet (sometimes the gate isn’t shown until an hour before the flight leaves), grab some food or coffee if I want it, and head to my gate to sit and wait. Yes, it’s annoying to just sit and wait for a long time, but if you end up getting hungry later, you know where to go back to when you’re ready to leave.
2. As soon as you know your gate, go to a map and locate it.
Airports are huge and often very confusing, so it’s a great idea to locate where you need to go on a map, maybe even take a picture of it on your phone, and head over there. This is especially helpful when you have a layover and are in an unfamiliar airport. I don’t have the best sense of direction, so maps are always very helpful for me. I figure I’ll take a wrong turn at least twice, so it’s also really helpful taking a picture of the airport map to have on my phone. Once I actually find the gate, I set up camp with my snacks, coffee, and Kindle, and wait until my flight is boarding! This really helps with my anxiety because I know where I am supposed to be, and that I won’t miss my flight.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
This can be really scary especially if you are in a foreign country, but the people who work at the airport are there to help you, so more often than not they will happily give you advice. I could not, for the life of me, get the check-in machine to work at the Heathrow airport, but a nice lady helped me out and the crisis was avoided. When you’re already in a high-stress situation, any little thing can set you off, so it’s really important to just stay calm and ask people for help if you need it.
4. Give yourself a lot of extra time.
For international flights, I get to the airport at least three hours before my flight leaves to give myself plenty of time, and two hours for domestic flights. I hate being rushed, especially when I’m already stressed, so it really helps to have a nice time cushion. This also really helps mentally because I know it’s totally fine if I do end up getting turned around, or if the security line ends up being really long. Security is always hit or miss; sometimes it breezes by, and other times it seems to never end. It honestly just depends on the time and day, which is extremely frustrating. Giving yourself lots of extra time always ensures you’ll have plenty of time, though, and I would much rather have an extra hour of reading instead of running to my gate!
5. Make sure you put all of your liquids in a clear plastic bag, and know exactly where it is.
I flew for the first time in a while last year, and I completely forgot about putting my liquids in a place where I could quickly pull them out for security. I ended up having to completely open up my suitcase in order to get them out, and dig through all of my stuff. This was extremely stressful and embarrassing, and I haven’t made that mistake since! Now I always make sure to put the clear bag (make sure you do this, too, otherwise they’ll make you do it in line) inside of my makeup bag, on top of all of my stuff, and I pull it out a little bit before I get to the part where I put my stuff in the bins. This routine works really well for me, and makes sure I can get through security as quick as possible, which I’m sure everyone else appreciates as well!
6. If possible, check-in to your flight online, before you get to the airport.
I ended up being able to check-in to my flight for London 24 hours before I left, which was so nice because I didn’t have to deal with the long check-in line at the airport. Checking in online also gives you the option to put the boarding pass into your Passbook if you have an iPhone, and a text message if you have an Android. I didn’t end up doing this because I had to change some personal info, but one of my friends did this and he breezed in because he didn’t have to fumble around for his boarding pass! I will definitely be doing that for now on when I’m able to check-in online.
7. Have a plan for how you’re going to get to the place your staying after your flight lands.
You might be saying, “well, duh,” but it can really help to not stress about something if you’ve already looked up taxi services, or checked bus/train times, and have them ready for once you’ve landed. I knew in London I could easily Uber to my homestay, but San Sebastián is a lot smaller, so I checked and made sure there were taxi’s that I could take to my dorm. This helped out a lot because I wasn’t constantly worried on my flight about how I would end up where I needed to be. Nine times out ten, airports always have taxi’s waiting outside of arrivals, so you can always get to where you need to be, or at least a bus or train station that will take you there.
8. Try, as hard as you can, to stay calm.
Trust me, I completely understand how stressful airports can be. I love flying, but it can be so scary to try and navigate airports for the first time by yourself, or get through security without your mom helping you grab stuff really quickly. When in stressful situations, it only makes it worse when you start to freak out, and lose your level head. It helps to try and remain calm, think and breath through a situation, and just relax. In the long run, you’ll end up a lot less stressed out if you remain calm through a hard situation. Just remember that you’ll end up where you need to be, so don’t worry too much!
Alright, well those are all of my trips on how to deal with travel anxiety! Just always keep in mind that all of the stress from the airport will be worth it once you get to your destination!
When I read about how busy study abroad programs were, I definitely underestimated just how crazy they could get. I feel like I haven’t had a moment to breath, let alone sit down and write a blog post or edit a video. I have so many photos on my camera that I need to edit and export in order to do blog posts, but I’ll be leaving for Spain on Saturday, so at least I’ll have time to do a lot of that then. My time here in London has flown by!
I was able to snap a couple of photos of some stuff that I’ve bought so far, so I thought I would share that with you guys, because I’ve got some good things that I’m excited to use!
One thing I was extremely excited for upon going to London, was going to a Ted Baker store! I absolutely love Ted Baker, it’s probably my favorite designer brand, and once I walked into the store I saw this beauty and knew I had to have it. I have a pink Ted Baker bag that is a bit bulky and doesn’t really go with everything, so I have been wanting to get a more neutral one, anyway. This little guy was also 50% off, so it was definitely a steal! I am a little worried about it being white, but Nordstrom has some really great handbag wipes that I will probably be investing in to keep it pristine white.
I love the gold details everywhere! And the little bow is absolutely adorable, and not gaudy at all.
Another thing I was super excited for was to be able to buy Zoella Beauty products! We don’t have them in the States, so I really wanted to get a couple while I was here. I’m waiting to try them out until I get home, so I’ll be doing a review later this summer on them! I might have to run back to Boots and get a couple more products to try out… I was really excited for this bath fizzer because it seems like a lot of fun, and the packaging is so adorable.
I honestly got this product just because the packaging is so adorable and different. I really actually do love bath salts, though, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this product a lot.
This is the Diamond perfume from Armani, and it was 50% off when I bought it as well! I definitely lucked out. This stuff smells so amazing, and it will be perfect to use back home because the smell will remind me of London. I really want to get one from Spain to remember it by as well! I love bringing new perfume on vacation just for that reason.
Okay, can I just talk about my love for Primark for a minute? It is such a great store, and has wonderful prices on everything! I was in the need of a plain black leather jacket to go with everything, and I walked in and saw this lovely thing for 14 pounds! It was seriously a steal, and I will definitely be going back before I leave London to go buy some things.
I just had to get a couple of onesies while here since my cousin just had her twin boys! They are so adorable, and I know she’ll love them because they aren’t too tacky at all. The material is also super soft, so I’m sure they’ll be perfect for their little newborn skin!
I got another one in a different print, since I’m sure they’ll already have a lot of matching clothes.
Also, a side note on some great places to go shopping in London: Covent Garden, Camden Market, Oxford Street, and Soho area are all great places to go!
Alright, well those are a couple of things I’ve bought while here in London! I plan on going shopping one more time, so I might have another haul going up sometime next week. I’m so sad that my time in London is coming to a close, because I have definitely fallen in love with this city! I really don’t want to leave, but I know that I’ll have a blast in Spain as well.
It’s no secret that I absolutely love going to the movie theater. I’ve always loved watching movies on the big screen, there’s something so wonderful about it! It’s been one of my favorite things to do since I was a kid, and it definitely has not changed through the years. If anything, my passion for going to the movies has just gotten stronger! I’m always especially excited for the summertime because a lot of fun movies tend to come out, and this year there are so many great ones coming to the big screen! Being in London, though, some of the premiere dates are different than the US, but that only means I’ll have a ton of movies to go see with family and friends once I get home. Here are five that I am really excited to see!
If you haven’t heard of Finding Dory, then it’s very probable that you live under a rock. The hype surrounding this sequel to the beloved Finding Nemo has been unreal, since it was one that defined my generation’s childhood. It was a pivotal film that made us so emotional and worried for these adorable sea creatures, and the highly anticipated sequel has been begged for for ten years now. I cannot wait to see this – either in the US or Spain – because it doesn’t come until July 29th in the UK!
When I was little, Tarzan and The Jungle Book were two of my favorite movies. I saw the new Jungle Book earlier this Spring/Summer, and it was so great, so now I’m excited to see the newest adaptation of Tarzan! The trailers are so dramatic and the CGI looks truly incredible. I have high hopes for this film, so hopefully I’m not let down! Either way, it’s definitely going to be very different from the Disney classic.
I made it to London, and I can’t believe I’m here! I’ve been year for about five days now, but it simultaneously feels like I’ve been here for months, and minutes. I’m so surprised by how quickly I’ve gotten comfortable with the public transportation here; they make it so easy to get to the city, and travel throughout it. I definitely thought it would take me a while to get used to it and be able to find my way, especially with my horrible sense of direction!
The whole journey of getting here was pretty easy, and I didn’t have any complications, other than my suitcase being about 15-20 pounds overweight (all of my books had to go home with my parents instead of overseas with me, sadly). The flights went very smoothly, and luckily there were no screaming babies. It was definitely hard sitting there for seven hours straight on the flight over to London – I had a layover in Detroit – but it went by relatively quickly.
I got into London at about noon on Saturday, the 18th, so I was able to get settled in at the home I’m staying at. The couple hosting me is so lovely, and they have the most adorable little house and family. They have two cats, Rosie and Mackey, as well as three children and four grandchildren. I’ve met their son and his two children, and they are so sweet as well. I definitely lucked out, because I have a great roommate as well! It’s nice staying with a family, especially since I come from a very close one, so I have that homely comfort, and a wonderful place to come back to after long classes. My host mom has even made my roommate and I two batches of gluten free cupcakes, and always makes sure that there is vegetarian and gluten free food for me to eat!
I spent most of Sunday sleeping, basically, because I was feeling pretty sick in the morning and very jet lagged the whole day. I definitely underestimated how tired I would be! My sleep schedule is slowly returning to normal, so that’s very nice. I’ve now spent about three days in the city, walking around as a class, and wandering a tiny bit on my own, and I’ve taken so many photos so far. I thought I would post all of them to this post, since they are of all over London, and not any specific sub-city. I’ll be having dedicated posts for each of the places I go to, but for now this is an initial catch-all post!
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| This is the street of the neighborhood my host family lives in. |
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| The houses are so cute here! |
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| I can’t get over the architecture; everything is gorgeous! |
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| There are so many streets with cute buildings like these! |
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| Soho and the West End is definitely my favorite area so far. |
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| Leicester Square is so beautiful! |
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| There are so many double deckers, and they definitely do not get any less impressive the more I see them! |
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| I had to take a stereotypical telephone booth photo. |
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| I couldn’t believe the shot I got of Big Ben, because the clouds suddenly cleared! |
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| This is Mackey, one of my host family’s cat! She is the sweetest little thing. |
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| My host family has such pretty roses in their garden! |
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| This is Rosie, the rather chubby-but-adorable second cat. |
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| There was a swan (a swan people) just casually swimming about by the park near Buckingham Palace. |
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| As if it couldn’t get any better, here are some baby swans. I think I died in this moment. |
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| This is from on of the monuments from a German bombing. |
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| I really need to start getting more “touristy” photos with myself in them! |
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| We got to watch the guards sign off (?) at four o’clock. The horses were so gorgeous! |
I’ve taken hundreds of photos so far, so I’m really glad I decided to bring an extra memory card! That way I won’t have to worry about the amount I’m taking, and I’ll still have plenty of room for my Spain trip. I’m having so much fun; I’m extremely grateful that I’m here. I was pretty homesick the first full day here, probably because I was so exhausted, and was just lying around the house not really doing much of anything. Now that my mind and body are both so preoccupied, I’m not dwelling on home! It definitely comes in waves, though. I just keep thinking that I’m in one of the most incredible cities in the world, and probably won’t have a chance like this one to be in London for so long, doing whatever I want to when I don’t have classes. I’m so lucky to have my parents who both encouraged me to come here, because I’m seriously having the time of my life so far.
I am leaving for London, my first study abroad program, this Friday and I’m starting to freak out. I’m feeling a nice mixture of nerves and excitement as it’s becoming more real. I’ve been looking forward to this since March when I found out I got accepted into both programs – London and San Sebastián – and now it’s actually here! I want to make sure to make the most of both programs, so I thought I would make a bucket list for each locations! Since London is first, I’ll start with this one, and do my San Sebastián one closer to the program.
1. Go to the Warner Brother’s Studio Tour of Harry Potter.
2. See Big Ben.
3. Visit the Sherlock Museum.
4. Have fancy tea somewhere.
5. Ride the London Eye.
6. Visit Buckingham Palace.
7. Go to Hyde Park.
8. Go to King’s Cross Station
9. Attend a football match.
10. Go to the London YouTube Space.
11. Go to the British Museum.
Things I want to do outside of London…
12. Visit Scotland.
13. Visit Ireland.
14. Go to Stonehenge.
15. Visit Brighton.
I still cannot believe that I’m going to Europe this summer to study abroad! It hasn’t set in that I’m leaving in two days – I probably won’t believe it until I’m actually there. I can’t wait to share all of my adventures with you all!
Also, if any of you live in London or have visited, I would love it if you could let me know where I should go!