It's Not Goodbye... It's See You Later :)

It seemed like just yesterday that I arrived in London, not knowing what to expect, scared to be so far from home.  But in reality, I only have eight days left over here in this country.  Who knew that time could pass so quickly?!  The experiences that I have encountered while being here have been a chance of a lifetime.  From just being able to come to London to traveling to Poland, Gibraltar, Bath, Stonehenge, Brighton and Wales, this has been one insane and memorable journey!  Who would have thought that I would be going home with a broken nose and deviated septum?  Not me, that’s for sure!  I can definitely say that Wales was by far the most exciting and I guess you could say “dangerous” trip I went on.  I suggest everyone goes there!  Being able to experience another country at such a young age has changed me in so many ways.  I have never been so grateful for what I have at home until coming here.  That makes it sound like this place stinks but that’s not the case.  Being away from home for almost four months has opened my eyes and made me realize how much I actually have.  It is nice to be going home in eight days because I am more than ready but I know that I will miss certain aspects of this country.  The food is not one of them. J  I know I will miss being able to go out and have a drink when I want to, after all who wouldn’t like to do that?  Especially after a stressful week with school.  I will also miss the public transportation.  Coming from a town that doesn’t have public transportation, it was a huge difference to me.  It was nice to not have to drive anywhere or pay for my gas.  And I will miss the people I have met – they’ve been very helpful and warm.  All in all, this journey has been one of a lifetime and will always be a memory.  Hopefully someday I will come back to this exciting place called London.

What a Wonderland!

We are now down to our last week of classes. It is crazy how fast these three months have flown by. This has been a fantastic learning and traveling experience for all of us. There have been those who traveled to Italy, France, Spain, Scotland, and Wales and more trips to come during our last week here. As our time in London comes to an end many of us are getting anxious to go home to see our friends and family. But out time here is not quite done. I feel there is still so much to do and see and not much time left to do it. Christmas is coming fast and the decorations are going up. I am so happy we get to see a taste of how they celebrate Christmas here. In Hyde Park they have sent up Winter Wonderland. It is quite incredible. Winter Wonderland is a giant Christmas Carnival with everything anyone could want. There are crazy rides unlike any that I have ever seen at amusement parks back home, let alone at a temporary carnival. Everywhere you look there is some sort of treat to be had, whether sweet or savory. (The picture shows just one of the many places to satisfy a sweet tooth.) The Winter Wonderland has so many little craft tents set up so Christmas shopping can be done right there. There is also an ice skating rink and a circus! I thought that people in the States enjoyed Christmas, but here they celebrate it on a whole new level from anything that I have ever seen before. Winter Wonderland is just one of the many wonderful experiences I have had since I have been in England. I have learned so much from friends, professors, and experiences, things I would have never known if I had not come to England. Now is the time to really take advantage of our last moments here.

Seeing my Cousin in London

A few months ago I was told that I was going to be having a visitor come to see me in London in the midst of my study abroad experience. It turned out that my cousin was visiting London for the better part of a week for her birthday. She was staying in the Savoy Hotel with her boyfriend. The Savoy is across from the London Eye, and is only a 20 minuet walk from Tower Bridge. We made plans to meet with each other on the third day that they were in london, once they had gotten over the jet lag. I was more than happy to make the trip out to Central London to meet with my visitors to explore around the area that they were staying in.

We decided to meet in from of the Tate Modern Museum at noon to begin our day together. I went out on my own without a map or plan on how to get to the museum because I wanted to be able to navigate around by learning the way myself. I eventually made it to the Tate Museum and found my cousin and her boyfriend. We decided to started walking towards the Tower Bridge in search of a place to have lunch. We found nice place that was built in an old tube station. We had a delicious lunch along with a very fine bottle of wine which was delicious. Once we left the restaurant we noticed that there was a lot of people out on this day. We started to follow some of the crowds of people which led to a huge open air market full of fresh food and drinks. I was amazed by the number of people who were outside walking around and spending their time in the city, instead of in their homes.

This experience of being out with my cousin showed me how alive the city of London is, and how active its patrons can be.

My Weekend in Paris

This past weekend I went to Paris along with another WNE student, Brett, as well as my roommate here at Richmond University, Jeremy. The three of us left for Paris on Thursday afternoon and arrived in Paris around 8pm. We were so excited to be in this amazing city we didn’t know what to do first. We ended up walking from the hostel we were staying at all the way to the other side of the city to go see the Eiffel Tower, and along the way made many different stops at the cool places we found. By the time we got to the Eiffel Tower it was almost mid-night, but the long walk was well worth the amazing sight of the Eiffel Tower all lit up. The two days we went all over the city and visited many of the major attractions including the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre just to name a few. These were all really cool things to see, but nothing topped climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The three of us decided that it would be the most fun to climb the 674 stairs to the second floor, where from there we could take an elevator to the top. After a long climb up the stairs and a quick elevator ride we reached the top of the tower; and I can honestly say it was well worth every single one of those 674 to the top. The view was one of the most of things I have ever seen. Another thing I enjoyed was the French food that we throughout the weekend. My roommate who is French recommended many French dishes for me to try. These included a dish I had for dinner called beef bourguignon and then for breakfast I tried many different things from the French bakeries including baguettes, croissants, and pain au chocolat. Overall the weekend was a very memorable one. The three of us shared many laughs along the way and saw many of the most famous attractions in Paris.

A Nontraditional Thanksgiving

Although I was away from family this thanksgiving I was still able to get a sense of home with my mom coming to visit. She has never been outside of the United States so instead of spending her full week around London, we also planned part of her week in Scotland. The first few days I showed her around Richmond, Piccadilly Circus and all of the normal tourist spots such as Westminster, Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace. The Friday after thanksgiving we got onto a train and left for Edinburgh, Scotland. Even though I have been in the United Kingdom for about three months I still have not been able to see the country side. I was so excited about seeing different scenery that I spent most of our four hour train ride with my nose pressed up against the window looking at the pretty landscapes of lush green farms and ocean views. Once we got into Edinburgh, we dropped our stuff at the hotel and started to explore. Down the street from where we were staying was a mini winter carnival that had rides, games, and a beautiful ferris wheel. From the mini carnival we were able to get an amazing view of the Edinburgh Castle that sat at the top of the mountain. Wanting to get a closer look, we trekked up the steep cobble stone roads to the entrance of the castle. Once we got inside the castle we got to see an amazing panoramic view of the city and other mountains that were close by. By the time we were done touring the castle it was dark out and we decided to make our way back down the mountain. On our way back we took a different route and found a small German flee market. It was packed with people eating food, listening to music and having a great time. We were having so much fun that we forgot about our traditional Thanksgiving plans and had fun enjoying our own special nontraditional Thanksgiving. I would recommend a trip to Scotland to anyone traveling in the U.K.

Thanksgiving Mass

My family was going to thanksgiving without me! They would celebrate the holiday and stuff their faces with food and laugh and share stories while I ate a Happy Meal. As if that wasn’t bad enough, my mother was guilt tripping me into going to church to celebrate a holiday they don’t even celebrate in England. She had been telling me for weeks about a Thanksgiving mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral for the American community in London, and how she would disown me if I didn’t go. So being the rebellious son that I am I did exactly as I was told, and woke up at the crack of dawn to obey my mother’s orders. After many grueling seconds of worrying about missing my class, I was able to contain myself, and headed off to central with a fellow university student. Once we got there, however, my friend decided he did not want to be there, and went home, leaving me all alone in a cathedral of strangers. As the choir quietly hummed their hymns I gazed around the cathedral and took in all it had to offer. The place was truly amazing with its high ceilings and remarkable architecture. It was almost impossible for me to believe it was made completely by hand, with no help from machines. Soon after settling into my seat, two American girls studying in London took their seat next to me and we had a conversation about England and our time in the country. It was a relief to hear so many American accents and really made me feel like I was back home. The mass was surprisingly engaging and kept my attention throughout. Afterwards I wandered around and met many more Americans all of which shared with me their thanksgiving stories from past years. I really enjoyed my time at the cathedral that morning, and while I did not have my family to share it with me I was still able to form, in a sense, my own family within the cathedral walls. Once again, I learned that my mother is always right.

photo credit: http://www.londonsorted.com/saint-pauls-cathedral/

It has gotten to that time of the semester where it is Thanksgiving. Being here in England, this makes many of us homesick wanting to be with friends and family during this holiday season. Luckily, many of us had family of friends that came to visit us during this time. Both my mom and dad came to London during this week. We got to celebrate an unconventional Thanksgiving together in London. We spent Thanksgiving going to the Victoria and Albert Museum, shopping at Harrods, walking through Piccadilly and Leicester Square, and eating fish and chips. During my parents visit, we also went to Paris for two days and two nights for the weekend. It was great to be able to experience France. We went to the Louvre, to the top of the Eiffel Tower, saw the Arc de Triomphe, and got to experience fantastic French food like quiche, crepes, and croissants. When we arrived back in London, we saw more tourist attractions by visiting the Tower of London. I especially enjoyed showing my parents around Richmond on their last day here. It was nice for them to see where I have been living and learning for the past three months. My parent’s visit to Europe has also taught me a lot about myself. I have discovered that I have learned and grown so much as a person. Before coming to London, my sense of direction was almost nonexistent. Learning how to navigate the London transportation system made it a breeze navigating through Paris’s metro system and streets. Figuring out how to get myself around, even when in a different country that does not speak English, is something that I never thought I would be able to do before. It was such a strange feeling to have my parents depend on me to get them to the right places when I have been the one following them everywhere all of my life. My feeling of accomplishment is very pleasing and makes me really realize how I have grown here in so many ways that I could never have imagined.

Trip to Bath, but not down the hallway

Every week in the UK new adventures always seem to arise, but instead of traveling to London, I went with the school to Bath, England and Stonehenge, both beautiful places rich with history and exploration. Our journey brought us to Stonehenge first, which is one of the strange, peculiar rock formations from Ancient England. Though, there are many speculations of how the rocks were able to be formed that way, where the rocks came from and why the natives built the rock formation. All there is to know is that the rock formation has not unravelled its relevance to ancient society, but it is still a tourist hotspot. Being there felt really wonderful, the rocks are in the middle of an open field filled, where sheep are allowed to roam outside of the rocks boundaries. The rocks are really secluded and in a rural setting as they should be. It was definitely a great experience going there.

Bath on the other hand was a really nice city that was full of festivities and relaxation. Reason why I bring up relaxation is that Bath is famous for its wonderful massages and its natural hot spring. Romans thought the hot water that came out of the ground was made by the gods, so they thought it was spiritual, so people from all over would come and take a bath, get massages and pray at the building complex. Going through the Baths you are given a headset and its explains when the baths were built, why and how the Romans used the bath and many other historical findings that were restored and are now on display. At the end of my tour, there was a water fountain that an employee was serving natural hot spring water to anyone who wanted to try it, and it of course, was hot and not exactly Dasani water. Anyways, Bath and Stonehenge were both, awesome places to visit and learning a bit of history and having a good time and experiencing England life is always worth the trip.

Ciao Italia!

I went to Italy for the fall break with three of my friends. We were there for nine days and was able to visit five different cities; Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome, and Pisa. My favorite out of all of them by far was Florence. It was the middle of the trip, so I already got a taste of what the Italian food and culture was like. When I arrived I was immediately attracted to the huge Cathedral in the middle of the city, it was impossible to miss. The architecture was amazing and I already knew I was going to love this city.
As I walked to the hostel we were staying at, I took in all the shops and vendors. There were expensive shops as well as cart vendors selling souvenirs. When we finally reached the hostel, we found the owner to be very kind and he gave us a map and some recommendations for things to do while we were there. One of the ideas was to walk across the river and hike up a steep hill and then we would have a view of the city. So we decided this would be a good idea and we headed out. We hiked our way up the hill and I was not expecting what I saw when I reached the top. The view of Florence was absolutely breath-taking. I was able to see for miles over the city and I took many pictures. The Cathedral stood high and towered over all the other buildings in the city. We stayed up there until the sun started to set and then we walked back down. It was one of the most spectacular views I have ever seen in my life.
We spent two days in Florence and I fully enjoyed my stay there. The food was delicious as usual, the shopping was plentiful, and the buildings were fun to admire. I was able to buy some gifts for my family because there was such a variety to choose from.
I was sad to leave Florence, the other cities in Italy were beautiful in their own ways and each had something unique to offer. Florence stood out to me the most and I am thrilled that I got to see it. I would definitely recommend anyone to visit there as well.

For my fall break experience, I chose to go to the great country of Poland, a short two hour plane ride from Richmond University. What I found in Poland was much different than what I expected to find before I left Richmond. We landed in Warsaw in the early evening on saturday, and once we checked into our hostel, we ventured out into the city of Warsaw in search of a polish pub to dine at. We found a tradtional polish pub that had a mix of both italian and polish foods, and traditional polish beers brewed right on the spot. On sunday we recieved a tour of Krakow and while on our tour, we saw remnants of World War II memorobilia, ranging from monuments and statues, to bullet holes in the walls of buildings. That afternoon we did some shopping in some stores and also got some pictures of the picturesque scenery. The next day we went to the Warsaw Rising Museum, which showed us what Warsaw was like before, during, and after the German invasion on Warsaw in the 1940's. The next morning we departed for our second stop in Poland, Krakow. We stopped at an underground restaurant in Krakow for lunch, and we were told that eating underground in Krakow is something that is very traditional to do. After lunch, we went into the cloth market, which turned out to be an excellent source for purchasing souvenirs for friends and family back home. The next day we went on a walking tour of Krakow, going into various churches throughout the city, one of which was the church the late John Paul II was affiliated with. We also went into Wawel and saw some of the Polish royalty there. Later that day we did some more shopping in the cloth market and some of the side-street shops, where I got some polish pottery for a decent price. The next day we visited Auschwitz and Birkenau, two very notorious concentration camps during World War II. It was a very somber experience, but also a life experience none of us will ever forget. Friday, the last day we were in Krakow, we toured the Wielczka Salt Mines, which were absolutely amazing, given the underground chapel, water pools, and huge rock formations right over our heads. Poland was a country that was truely unparalleled when it comes to history, and was interesting to see everything it had to offer to say the least.

When in Wales

Last weekend about 30 or so Richmond students took a 6 hour train to Wales for two days of adventure. We arrived after dark on and a group of us decided to go explore and try and find the ocean. After walking for over 2 hours and still not having a clue where we were we got a little frustrated. We finally came to a gate where we saw a sign telling us the ocean was in that direction. We finally found the ocean and a few of the boys decided to go skinny dipping. The next morning we got up and went coasteering. We were climbing and scaling rocks, jumping off of cliffs, swimming into caves and just enjoying the gorgeous ocean. After having a fun filled morning we went back got some lunch and got ready to take a surfing lesson. We had to wetsuit back up and take a short drive to a nice rock free beach. When we first got there we laid our boards on the sand and did a quick warm up job and stretching session. We then laid on our boards, still in the sand and learned how to paddle to catch a wave. They told us that once we catch the wave we should lift our elbows up the board and we would be doing the cobra; basically a very simple position to ride a wave in which you almost look like a cobra. After lying on our boards catching some waves we then learned how to stand up. It was a mess, we all tried to get up multiple times and would get half way up, lose our balance and fall off. Although it was technically a failure it was a bunch of fun. We just hung out for the rest of the night then got up and went hiking the next day. We hiked along the coast and it was absolutely beautiful. Wales is definitely a place that everyone should try and visit if given the opportunity.

There's No Place Like Home

The famous movie "The Wizard Of Oz" coined the phrase "there's no place like home." In the Wizard of Oz, the main character Dorothy is swept away to a magical land in search of the Wizard in order to make her way back home. Along the way she meets some memorable friends and unfortunately makes some enemies. They try to find their way to the Wizard by following the yellow brick road in order to get all their wishes granted. The Scarecrow wants a brain, the Tin Man wants a heart, the Cowardly Lion wants courage, and, of course, Dorothy who wants to go home. In a way, the 16 of us in London are all on our own unique "yellow brick roads". We each have goals that we intend to reach. We all also encompass each of the goals that are described in the Wizard of Oz. We have all already obtained courage. We gained this by the fact that we made it over here and have been living, basically on our own, for the past two months. This took courage. Our classes and studies have been challenging and improving our minds. For this we have been using our brains (obviously). Lastly we have been opening our hearts. The group of 16 of us have become very close and will remember this experience forever. Some of us have met new people who have entered our lives and hearts and will be missed dearly when we leave. Others have been feeling the heartache since we left Massachusetts. Either way, everyone has been proved how much they are loved and supported. Lastly, in the Wizard of Oz Dorothy has a paradigm shift at the end of the movie. She realizes how fast her journey has passed her by and that she is going to miss her new friends and the new place she was placed in, but she knows that home is where the heart is. Everyone of us has had a paradigm shift of some kind while we are here. My personal paradigm shift was a very large one. I have loved this experience but realized that business, and especially international business, is not the right major for me. What can I say? There's no place like home :)

More of London

I am truly gaining so much from my experience here in England. My Most recent major experiences consisted of helping out at a Halloween Event for children in the community and visiting Cambridge.
The Halloween Event was sponsored by and hosted at Richmond The American International University in London. I was able to dress up, help out with decorations and prepare pumpkin seeds to be baked and served as a snack for the children. Halloween seems to be slightly less celebrated in in London as in the United States. The advertising for it is not as fragrant as in the States. Therefore, I feel that this holiday is not as serious of a staple event to buttress an increase in revenue from a business perspective. As for the social aspect, it seems that it is more of a children’s holiday here rather than a widely celebrated holiday observed by all the generations to some degree as is seemingly practiced in the United States.
As for my visit to Cambridge, about a week ago, I went to Cambridge with Dr. Pelosi. She gave me a wonderful tour around Central Cambridge. I was in absolute awe at how beautiful it is there. Each of the college campuses have such an enchanted feel. When I explored the different sites, I literally could say that I saw my envisioned novel settings actualized in real life. She toured me through the Business School, the Theatre and Arts School, the Mathematics school, and the Law school. She also showed me a church called the Round which she used to attend. They definitely live up to their name in visual expectation too. As for businesses within Cambridge, there are definitely more stores with shopping products rather than convience products. It is an expensive area to live in and the people there seem to be mostly of higher caliber and have resources to keep the elite businesses sustained. Cambridge is a classy city but definitely a busy city none the less.
Throughout these two experiences, I was able to visually and from an interactional standpoint observe some other categories of value systems and economic realities. Overall, I am loving it here and continuously learning.

When In Rome

For the last week of October we had fall break, and many of us took this opportunity to travel to different parts of Europe. For break, I went to Italy along with three other SEA students. We went for nine days and visited Bologna, Florence, Rome, and Pisa. The trip was completely planned by ourselves, and it was the first time that any of us had been to a non-English speaking country. We visited the big three of Italy, which are the Colosseum, the Duomo in Florence, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Bologna was a very nice city, something that I found very interesting there was that every sidewalk is covered by arches, so if it ever rains you are always undercover. Florence was also a very beautiful city; within the first twenty minutes of being there, I had already seen the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore, which is a huge dome. I also went up to the Piazzale Michelangelo where you can see the entire city, and it was an incredible view. The next city I went to was Rome, which was also an amazing city. The first day there, I went into the Colosseum and the Roman Forum; I also went and made a wish at the Trevi Fountain later that night. The Trevi Fountain was definitely my favorite place in Rome, it was simply mesmerizing and I could have spent the entire day sitting there. The last city that I visited was Pisa. Pisa was a very small city but seeing the leaning tower was really neat, as well as taking a lot of funny pictures with it. I had a lot of fun on this trip and I would love to go back to all of the places that I visited again if I ever get the chance.

A week of Adventure

Two weeks ago was our Fall Break, and some big trips were in store for us. A group went to Italy for the week, and two went to Poland. As for me, I took an individual trip with Alex and Lindsey to the Spanish island, Ibiza. Ibiza is a small island off the coast of Spain. Arriving there late at night, we did not get the chance to see the beauty of the island until the next day. The weather was sunny and warm, and going to the beach was a treat for us, as we spent two months in foggy Richmond. Our week was spent, walking around, swimming and lying on the sand. We also went on a two hour cruise which took us out along the coast to see other beaches and swim in the crystal blue water.  Alex, Lindsey and I met a person from Australia who was travelling Europe for six months. Learning this about our new friend, made me think of seeing myself doing this, but when I am older. Travelling Europe is fairly easy and the opportunity to do is not be passed. Being here in London we have that opportunity.

Following our week off, an adventure weekend in Wales was in store for a few of us. This weekend involved some outdoor activities such as surfing or kayaking, hiking and coasteering. Coasteering involves climbing rocks along the coast and when you see a place to jump off into the water, you do. This was the highlight as it was the most exciting activity. Surfing was good, with the waves and nice water. Ending with the seven mile hike in the morning was a great end to the weekend, and we got to see Wales with its coast and fields of sheep and cows. Wales was another great trip that has filled this semester and being almost complete with this semester has me excited to fit more trips and experiences into the time we have in Europe before we return to the States.

On Top of the World

Since arriving in Richmond, I have had the opportunity to do so many amazing things and see many amazing landmarks. During the first week we were taken into London to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben but we never got the chance to go near the London Eye. After seeing it from a distance many times, I had made it my goal to go on and see the whole city from one of the highest points possible. I had heard that going at night was the best time to go on because the whole city is being illuminated. One weekend some friends and I wanted to go into London and we decided the tube would be the best way to get there. By this point we felt like we have mastered the district line, which is the main tube line we take into London and back to school, and felt comfortable taking it with just a small group of people. Once we got on the tube, we picked a random stop to get off at. To our surprise when we walked outside, we were right underneath Big Ben and the London Eye was to the left of it. We had no specific plans for that night so I considered it fate and convinced some of my group members to go on the London eye with me. After waiting on line for a little while, we purchased our tickets and got onto another line that was right underneath the eye. Surprisingly the line moved rather quickly and the people in line were sectioned off to additional lines that lead into different pods. Something that I found really interesting was that the pods never stop moving and everyone has to quickly step on before the doors close. Luckily my friends and I were at the front of our line so we were the first people to get onto the pod. We quickly jumped on and headed straight to the front of the pod so we could get the best views of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the city. The pods moved so slowly that we could not physically tell we were moving we just noticed that we were getting taller than the buildings we were looking at. The view from the top of the eye was absolutely magnificent and I am so glad that I had the chance to experience it. Even though we have almost been here for half of our stay and there is a lot that I have done, there is still a lot more I want to see and more adventures to be had.

Portobello Market

Since coming to London I have seen so many new and amazing things. Past weekend we took a trip with our Marketing class to Portobello Market. It was so fascinating. This market consisted of many stands set up along the road as well as little shops that sold a wide variety of things. There were a lot of antiques for sale along the road. They had old cameras and boxing gloves, jewelry, shoes, and clothes. There was even an antique lace dress priced at over one thousand pounds. As we walked down the road it through the antiques there were stands that sell newer items such as clothes, purses, more jewelry, and pictures and posters. Then even further was where all the food stands were where one could buy produce or snacks and candy. There was so much to look at and so many people it was a bit over whelming. What seemed even more interesting to me was that even with all those people, cars would still try to drive down the road in some places. It was pretty crazy and a bit scary. This market has been around for a long time and conducted business for many years it is quite amazing. There were so many abstract items for sale; I really wondered who buys some of these things. Other than a collector I do not think many people have any use for old cameras and watches that do not even work anymore. It was interesting to get to see all of these things but I did not buy anything and with most of the antiques, I did not see many others buying anything either. I really wondered how the sales people could make a living off of it. The experience of Portobello Market was different from anything else I have ever done and it was awesome to be able to see how people conducted their business right on the side of the road.

Image from http://www.europeupclose.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Portobello.market.london..jpg

Latimer Road

Since arriving in England I have diligently searched for any opportunity to play football. In America, football (soccer) is very much underappreciated and it is hard to find people who share the same amount of passion for the game as I do. Europe it is a whole different story. It seems like everyone I meet can not only play the sport, but can hold a conversation for hours about what is going on in the professional football world. In fact, every weekend we all sit and watch football on television, cheering on our favorite clubs. We have even gone to downtown Richmond to catch a game on the big screen of a restaurant. As i will admit watching the games are fun, the real reason I wished to meet people who play football is so that I could actually play with them. Before last weekend I had played some small pickup games and such on the green outside the main building, but never anything too organized. Therefore, when I got the opportunity to jump on the tube and play some five aside football I took it. Our team consisted of five Richmond students, an Englishmen, a Greek, a Dutchmen, an Omani, and me, the American. As you can see the team was very diverse and everyone had their own playing style to bring to the team, causing me to wonder how well the team would be able to work together. So we arrive in south London after about a half hour on the tube, and take another short train ride over to Latimer Road where the field is located. Leading up to the match I had no idea what to expect. I pictured an open field with a couple of goals and sidelines, but I soon found out that this was not nearly the case. As I arrived at Latimer and walked towards where the fields were, I saw a large bridge in the distance. Little did I know that under that particular bridge is where I would be playing football for the next hour. I know it seems weird to picture five football fields all crammed under one bridge, but despite what your brain might be telling you it was remarkably clean and had nice goals and a turf fields. I never thought when I came here I would be playing under a heavy traffic highway, but England never ceases to amaze me. My team and I went on to easily defeat our opponents, despite my previous doubts. It was shocking just how quickly we were all able to mesh and feed off each other’s individual skill. In fact we had so much fun, that two days later we returned and played under the lights, once again coming up victorious. We could have lost both games and I still would have valued every minute of it. Just getting the chance to play the sport I love, thousands of miles away from home, with people from all over the world was rewarding enough for me.

Upon our arrival to the university, our group of 16 students had only a few hours until we our bus tour around London. Shortly after placing down my luggage, we started our walk down to the Richmond tube station to head towards central London. By the time we had reached our buses, the entire group was practically sleep walking. But once the bus tour started, I was rejuvenated by all of the scenery around me. When we stopped at Buckingham Palace to walk around, there were crowds of people all around. Besides the amazing sights, what I was surprised by was the massive amounts of people that were out and about. Even people who are from England are drawn to London to walk around and see the sights and old architecture. In addition to the well-known sights to see there is also a very diverse array of stores, restaurants, pubs, clubs, service shops, and outside vendors. London has just about anything one could ask. It is because of this that there so much diversity, and respect for diversity in London. If I had not came here to London, I would not have had the opportunity to speak with people from Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Venezuela, France, and many other places. Speaking with these people gave me a great appreciation for people of other cultures and languages. Speaking with individuals who are still learning to speak English is not something I had previously done on a regular basis. But now that I have been, it is very interesting to hear their views, and to see what they are interested in. Now that I have spent a good amount of time here in London I really appreciate the mixture of cultures that is present. There is always an experience out there for anyone, no matter what kind of things are of interest to them. As of right now, with all the possible adventures that are here in London, I think it will be hard for me to leave come mid December.

The Highlands of Scotland

Last weekend, I embarked on a journey to Scotland with other members of the University of Richmond. However, I was the only student who signed up for the trip from the Richmond campus. All of the other students were juniors and seniors and lived and took classes at the Kensington campus. I was already thrown into a situation where I didn’t know anybody. I managed to get over this when most of the students on the trip went around to different pubs the first night and had a good time. Soon after that we were all friends. As for Scotland itself, it is so far my favorite place I have traveled. The trip to Scotland consisted of a bus tour through the Highlands of the country. In the Highlands, there are steep, jagged edged mountains with rivers and streams flowing in between. Most of the land is uninhabited which allows for some of the best nature shots you can imagine. One of my favorite stops on the trip was when our bus went to the Isle of Skye. Our bus stopped alongside the road and we walked out right up to the edge of the cliff. The view from there was spectacular. Out across the view was the ocean and mainland Scotland. To the sides you could see how high up it was and the couple hundred foot drop to the rocky waters below. You cannot find this in the United States especially near Springfield. While our tour guide drove up, down and around these mountains, he was telling us about the history of Scotland and how the country because who they are now today. Myself having Scottish ancestry wanted to learn more about the country where and how my ancestors lived. The Scottish people are all about living free and for the people themselves. A man named William Wallace is mostly to thank for helping Scotland gain its freedom. Mel Gibson’s, “FREEDOM!!” yell from the movie Braveheart was referenced many times throughout the tour. Scotland is a country for the people and has been throughout its history. This is why there has never been a King or Queen of Scotland, yet there were Kings and Queens of the Scots. This trip was my first major trip outside of London so far. It is my favorite spot that I have traveled so far in my life. I will hope to be taking a trip to Ireland in a few weeks and further explore the rest of Europe while I’m here.

Welcome to Monkey City

When I found out that I was selected to come to London, I was more than excited to be able to travel to surrounding countries as well as cities around Richmond.  Knowing that so many places were within my reach was a huge excitement.  What made it even better was knowing that the University put on trips throughout the semester at reasonable prices.  Trips were to all different places: Brighton, Camden, Gibraltar, Wales, Poland, Italy, etc.  All of which I wanted to travel to.  My first weekend trip with the University was this past weekend to Gibraltar.  Of course I was excited to see all of the “famous monkeys” although they are known as thieves.  We had to be at Heathrow Airport for six in the morning on Friday for our flight.  We were on our own to get there but I was not on my own.  There was two WNE students that also joined me, Lindsey and Chris.   We were thinking about taking the tube at five in the morning but was then asked by another student to join in on a cab with her, which we did.  It ended up only costing each of us around six pounds, not too bad!  It was to my surprise that landing in Gibraltar meant that we were going to land on the main road and they would have to close the road down to civilians in order for us to land.  Never heard or seen that one before!  After arriving and making our way to our hotel, we had some free time to explore.  Saturday, was the day in which we would make our way to The Rock, home of the monkeys!  It was a rather long hike to reach the monkeys but totally worth it.  It was to everyone’s surprise when one monkey came out of nowhere and jumped on Lindsey’s back.  Her reaction was priceless.  After watching that, I was rather hesitant about turning my back to them because I didn’t want one to jump on me next.  After enjoying the monkeys for the morning, we walked around for the remainder of the day and had to end our journey the next morning.  All in all, the trip was definitely worth it and I am looking forward to Poland as my next adventure!

Learning Something New Everyday

Living in Richmond, London has been such an adventure. I have made so many friends and have had the opportunity within such a small frame of time to learn so much about myself and the many cultures here.
So far, I have traveled throughout Central London, Kingston, and Richmond and each city has a different breath and vibe of its own. I have enjoyed going to the National Theatre where I saw One Man and Two Governors performed and to the Rose Theatre where I watched The Importance of Being Earnest. I was able to absorb many aspects of British culture that I was not able to initially take in just by roaming through town and interacting with people that I had the opportunity to by watching these plays. I learned much about British humor and some deep socially imprinted aspects of England’s history. It framed a kind of conviction or enlightenment within me as to how much there really is to learn although British culture and American culture do not seem extremely different.
Living overseas during a study abroad experience like this provides students with tangible tools that are inaccessible in a student’s native country no matter how much education one acquires. Knowing about cultural differences and experiencing them are two different things. Adapting and embracing a different culture or cultures brings a higher awareness to one’s knowledge of their own culture as well as the host’s culture obviously, and sharpens their social and interpersonal skills on a more global level. The work place is becoming more global as we speak. Without some form of intercultural experience, students are not fully prepared to enter the workforce, in my opinion.
There are some experiences that illustrate some important learning elements for me as of right now. One is learning how to balance the time that I spend between those from my native country and those with the students from around the globe that attend Richmond American International University. It is pretty easy to get comfortable with your own and not branch out. A second experience I can note that was really pivotal in my intercultural learning as of right now is when I attended a church in Central London and afterwards to fellowship the pastors encouraged us all to go to a bar across the street. That was a total shock because in the United States that would be considered taboo. This clearly drew out cultural lines within an international religion that I did not even know existed. That was a funny learning experience. The last one that I can note is the nightly college girly talks. Here, many of the girls that I have spoken with have traveled around other parts of the world before coming to London. During our nightly talks many of their crucial experiences seemed to have several different settings other than the country they spent a majority of their time in. Although I have lived outside of the country before, hearing these colorful and adventurous stories encouraged me to branch out even more and to look for as many opportunities to travel to expand my book of international adventures.
This is some of what I have experienced and learned so far and I am so excited and curious for the many ventures to come during my stay here in England.