Month: January 2017

Unfortunately, though still amazing, this week was not as exciting as my others have been. I did not have the chance to explore as much as I would have liked. My school work-load has increased, as expected, and I have been working on finding the right balance between what I have to do and what I want to do. Although the week has not been as eventful, I am so honored and amazed by the fact that I am living my dream in London.

One of the few excursions I went on this week was a walk through the streets of London and the luxury departments of Harrods. On the walk to Harrods, I walked past some of the most beautiful streets I have ever had the privilege of walking down. It never ceases to amaze me at the sheer amount of history that is contained within the boundaries of this city. The architecture and energy of the buildings and crowds bring life to the people living here. The neighborhoods around Harrods are as luxurious as you would imagine they would be surrounding a luxury store. As I was walking past these homes, I imagined what it would be like if they were mine. It is a goal of mine to own a home somewhere in London, especially now that I have had a little taste of how it could be. Once I reached Harrods, I walked through the first floor admiring the beautiful fashion; these were not just clothing, shoes, and accessories, but pieces of wearable art. It was like walking through an incredibly expensive gallery. I only was able to walk through the first floor, as it was getting late, but it was unlike any other store I have been in. I can see why it is world-famous and a travel destination for thousands. I look forward to going back to explore the other many floors of luxury.

Later in the week, I was given the opportunity to visit the glorious Victoria and Albert museum. I was amazed at how large it was as I was expecting something much smaller; though I am not sure why. The ceilings are high and beautifully adorned, the exhibits are breathtaking, the artifacts are historic; everything that makes a museum wonderful. I did not take as many pictures as I would have liked, due to the fact that I was there for a class. However, expect them sometime in the future.

I have also noticed that my blog has begun to reach a larger audience and I am pleased that so many of you are getting enjoyment out of reading my posts (I would like to put in a quick shout-out to Donna. Thank you for reading my blog each week). I decided to start this blog as a way of documenting my time living abroad and to keep my friends and family aware of some of the great adventures I get to have. I consider every person who reads this as a friend. I wanted to take this time to let all of you know that I truly appreciate all of your support.

As the weeks go by, I fall more and more in love with London and the amazing experiences I am gaining. I cannot wait to check everything off my list of things to do and places to see.

In the words of Sweeney Todd, “there’s no place like London”.

Ta ta,

~Kaitlin

At the Victoria and Albert museum

Sunset on walk to Harrods

The ceiling at the Victoria and Albert museum

Accidental discovery on one of my walks

In the middle is the Creative Director for Gucci

This was one of those weeks that really made me think. It was the second week of classes so I was intellectually stimulated and forced to think critically but I also participated in a march that inspired me to my core. In my classes I learned more about the composition of the universe, the scientific advancement of lasers, 17th century paintings, and how British parliament was shaped by both the monarchy and the struggles between religions. A very diverse group of topics to say the least. On Thursday, my 17th- and 18th- century Art in London course visited the Tate Britain museum. I decided to leave my room early so that I would be able to walk the hour and fifteen minutes to get there; I am happy I did. On my way, my path went right past Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster (the meeting place of parliament), and Westminster Abbey. Lucky for me, I walked right past Westminster Abbey at the top of the hour so I was gifted with the amazing sound of the bells chiming. The clanging truly lifts the spirits and brings a smile to everyone’s face. I recommend everyone visit this historical place of worship when the hour changes so they too will get to hear the hauntingly beautiful songs bounce off the surrounding buildings. Did you know that it was built 1057 years ago? A sight to behold. I am planning on visiting it again when I have more time so that I can take pictures and see the inside. Just across the street was Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster. The ornate architecture is even more stunning in person than in pictures. Though I did imagine Big Ben would be taller. No matter the size, it’s stature is ultimately impressive. I hope that I will get the chance to walk the halls of the Palace of Westminster to gain perspective on my History of Parliament course and to walk where so many important people have walked before me. Once I finally made it to Tate Britain, my class went into two of the many galleries to look at a small selection of the British artwork. The portraits and allegorical paintings we observed were so intricately detailed. It amazes me every time I see a piece like these up close and in person. There really is no better way to view a painting than in person. Make the trip to any museum and you will see what I mean. I realized that I am capable of spending hours walking these galleries and that a two hour class is not enough time. Learning how to look at a painting in a deeper way than what is simply painted on the surface is more useful than I previously thought. It makes walking through galleries and museums a much more enjoyable experience. After class I had a long walk back but didn’t mind since I had time to kill before I had to be at an event. I decided this week to join the UCL Writer’s Society. They had an open mic night at a campus cafe on Thursday and I was excited to go. Immediately I met some very sweet and welcoming members who seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. I did not bring anything to read out loud so I was able to sit back and enjoy the inspiring and talented people and their equally inspiring pieces of poetry, prose, and short stories. I have decided that I am going to write more this semester and perhaps I will be brave enough sometime to read mine aloud.

Although the rest of this week has been great, Saturday takes the cake as the best. I participated in the Women’s March on Washington: London with one of my good friends. We both felt strongly about this march and the many reasons behind it. For me, this march was something mandatory; something that I needed to do and something I needed to say. This Saturday, I let my actions speak for me. This personally was not just a march against President Trump; this was a march for women’s rights, LGBT rights, planned parenthood, climate change, education, disabled people, and people of color (to name a few), all of which are incredibly important to me. I was touched and inspired tremendously by the huge turnout and the overwhelming amount of peace, love, support, and strength that flowed through the crowd. It was amazing to come back home to see the reports and pictures of the millions of women across the globe marching for the same cause on the same day. I am a part of something bigger and more important than the superficiality of everyday life. I am determined to help make a change and will continue fighting for the rights of every global citizen.

This has been a powerful week. Until next time.

Ta ta.

~Kaitlin

Another week down. It feels like a lot has happened these last seven days; probably because classes started and my free time has decreased. I did not go into my classes with many expectations since I had heard quite a few different accounts of what they were like. My first and only class on Monday was cancelled due to a Tube strike. Thousands of Londoners were displaced and many others were unable to make it into the city. This made the streets busy and the people frenzied. It wasn’t much of a bother to me since I enjoy people watching and walk everywhere anyway. Tuesdays are free of classes, which gives me a chance to take care of errands and do more exploring, of which I absolutely adore. The rest of the week was basically uneventful; more classes and attempting to completely understand the British higher education system (or at least the University College London system).  There are more differences than I was expecting. For one, as an affiliate (study abroad) student, I was unable to sign up for classes until last weekend. Once I signed up I had to wait for an advisor to confirm my choices. Until that happened, I was technically not on any of the class lists. Ultimately this was not a big deal and the lecturers (professors and teachers) were understanding of my situation. It did turn out, however, that one of my classes was not going to work out because of a scheduling conflict. This meant that I would have to choose another course and wait for confirmation again. Waiting on an advisor to look over my selections is a new concept to me and took this entire week to understand. Another big difference is the way the modules (courses) are set up. Some modules have very little homework and are lecture-heavy while some only consist of essays. For the lecture-based modules, there are no tests or quizzes spread throughout the duration of the course and only have one major examination at the very end of the semester. Two of mine have exams worth 90% of the grade. If that’s not intimidating, I don’t know what is. Those are just a couple of the main differences that I came across this first week. All in all, these are not impossible to grasp but will take some time to get used to. The modules that I am taking are: Astrophysical Processes: Nebulae to Stars, Lasers and Modern Optics, 17th- and 18th- Century Art in London, and History of Parliament.

On another note, I had the opportunity to visit two great attractions in London this weekend; The Tower of London and The British Museum. Saturday morning I woke up early, met three of my good friends, and made my way to the Tower of London by way of double-decker. After a twenty-or-so minute ride and a ten minute walk, we turned a corner to see the beautifully old structure, standing strong, surrounded by the new architecture of the 20th century. It was actually breathtaking. We couldn’t wait to enter the gates; to explore this historical time capsule but to also get out of the chilling wind. I loved seeing the rooms where kings and queens had resided, nefarious acts were committed, and where the Crown Jewels were displayed. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole tour but my favorite part had to be, and still is, the Crown Jewels. They are, as you would imagine, beautifully ornate and much better in person. The collection consists of ornamental swords, maces, cloaks, and dinnerware. There were also scepters, orbs, and crowns of course. All of these were decorated with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, gold, and silver. The building where they are kept is constantly guarded very closely by members of the Royal Military. You will recognize the guards by their unique headpieces. We had a lot of fun walking the grounds.

Today was grey and rainy so a visit to The British Museum was a perfect way to get out, yet stay dry. I believe many people in London had this same idea. It was incredible to walk among the famous artifacts I have learned about and read about my whole life. Standing in front of towering statues from ancient Egypt is a humbling experience. Being in the museum invokes feelings of brevity; you feel small surrounded by thousands of years of history. I don’t think I saw more than half of the museum, and even what I did see was not as in depth as it could have been. I could spend days there and still miss some of the exhibits. That is what’s so great about having free admission. I don’t feel like I have to see everything in one go. I can return as many times as I would like, and believe me, I will be back. It has been another great week here in London. I can’t exactly say what next week will bring but I am excited to find out.

Ta ta.

~Kaitlin

It’s been about a week since I last wrote and it has just flown by. I can tell that my time here will do the same and I can’t say I’m thrilled about that. I have been warned that what I am experiencing is called the “honeymoon phase” and that it will pass. While that may be partly true, I think this is more than just a phase. I am truly falling in love with this city. I have never felt so immediately at home before and some of you may know how big of a deal that is for me. I am at peace here amidst the hustle and bustle of this large city and I am generally just thrilled to be here. In fact, the only situations that have been hard, so far, were the ones where I had to decide what to do that day. There is an impossible amount of sites to see and shops to discover. The list is never ending. Did you know that almost all of the major museums in London are free? Not to mention that if you did somehow check everything off the list or needed a change of scenery, there are more towns and countries only a train ride away!

This week mainly consisted of meetings; meeting new and exciting people as well as meetings with different program heads about the logistics of attending school while living in London. I was fortunate enough to meet and connect with an amazing collection of five other girls at the beginning of the week. They too are participating in the same study abroad program. I am so fortunate to have met them and to have made fast friends with them all. We attended the meetings and the and the orientations together, made some wrong turns and only got slightly lost together, and have already shared so many laughs together. So here is a shout out to the Solid Six (name still in progress)!

Today was one of the first days this week that I have really had the chance to branch out and explore more than just the Bloomsbury area of London. As a proper Sherlock and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fan, I knew I needed to head to Baker Street; especially since I live so close. As I was attempting to find the famous door, I came across so many streets and buildings that oozed charm and character. I ended up at the Sherlock museum where I was able to tour 221B Baker Street. Walking up the creaky staircase instantly transported me into the pages of Sir Doyle’s famous stories. After a thorough tour of the building, I decided to head back home since I knew the sun would begin to set soon after. I ended up running into Regent Park on my walk and decided to quickly walk through. The juxtaposition of the greenery and beautiful landscapes with the London skyline were breathtaking. There were waterfalls and ponds, roses and weeping willows, everything you would need for a tranquil afternoon. If the sun had not been setting, I could have stayed there and explored for many more hours. I know that I will be back to see what other surprises Regent Park has in store.

All in all, I have been utterly charmed by London.

Ta ta.

~Kaitlin

I made it. My adventure has begun and I could not be more excited to see where it takes me. So far, as it is only day two, I have experienced jet lag, had a couple of beers, and explored a very small percent of London.

Day one, New Years Eve, consisted of landing at Heathrow International Airport and taking the Tube to my hostel. I had imagined checking in, grabbing something to eat, napping, then celebrating the end of the year dancing and laughing alongside my fellow travelers. Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan. I landed and immediately felt a level of tired I had never experienced before as well as the first unfortunate signs of a cold. As soon as I had checked in, I showered then got into bed and awoke two hours later. My body still believed that it was early morning despite what the clock read. I grabbed a quick bite and climbed back in bed; as sleep was the only cure.

The next day, today, the first day of 2017, I woke up feeling much better and more like myself. I grabbed a cafe au lait to-go from the lobby and left the hostel, camera in hand. I decided that I should integrate into the London way as quickly as possible and what better way to do that then to take the public bus. Now, public buses in London are nothing like any of the many public buses I have taken in the US. They are red and double-decker; maybe you’ve seen or heard something about them? The little British fan inside me squealed in excitement. Without planning I ended up on Oxford Street which is one of the main (and most popular) shopping areas of London. I was more interested in the scenic buildings and fun people watching, as I have plenty of time in the next six months to shop. During my exploration of the winding streets and many little parks, I somehow happened to run straight into the path of the New Year’s Day parade. Lucky me! It was a little bit funny, however, because the majority of the participants in the parade were part of groups from different parts of the US. Every single marching band I saw was from the States. It made me chuckle a bit that I end up thousands of miles from home and end up seeing a parade with a majority of Americans walking in it. I enjoyed standing among thousands of others though cheering on 2017; from all parts of the world. In London fashion, on my way back after the parade, it began to rain down hard. It was time to turn in for the afternoon. And, now, here I am enjoying a cold beer and writing the first of what I hope will be many blog posts about my adventures and excursions and everyday life while here in beautiful, foggy London, England.

Ta ta.

~Kaitlin