Bon Voyage!

After leaving our London hotel Friday morning, we took a quick day trip to Oxford where I got a bad sunburn and saw a lot of Harry Potter film sets, oh and historical colleges of course. That night we arrived in Stratford upon Avon where we rested on our soft guesthouse beds and explored a little bit of the little city. This town is much smaller, and all the beautiful flowers and neighborhoods remind me of home. The shops in the town are so cute and Shakespeare’s birthplace sits right in the middle of the city strip! We also journeyed through skinny allies full of neon green leaves to find Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Her cottage was beautiful, and the history was so interesting when we saw all the extensions made to the house and heard about the family property being lived in until 1911. The garden and bee farm were so fun to walk around in, especially since the weather feels a lot cooler in Stratford.

Being in a much smaller and quiet city compared to London helps me reflect on the past month and what I’ve experienced. A year ago, I never would have thought I’d be in London, let alone own a passport. In just one month, I was able to leave the country for the first time, go on the longest flight I’ve ever been on, figure out London’s tube system, learn the value of British currency, and see more live theatre and concerts that I know I’d never have the chance to see in any other situation. I was surrounded by a group of mostly new people and met new friends, found mentors in my professors, and by the end, I was able to celebrate my 21^st birthday with people who are now very dear to me. I know I need to come back to Europe, specifically London, which I think is the best, but maybe I am biased. I can’t wait for this to be the start of a whole new world of experiences, travel-wise, theatre-wise, or just new friend-wise. I am so grateful for the professors (and their spouses of course), all of the people in this group, and my parents who pushed me to set out on this great journey. I’ll see y’all soon!