I’m not in London yet, but I will be soon! Sorry about being late, I miscalculated the drive 😦

This is my first blog post!! Yayyyyyyyyyy. I am going to pretend like I am a professional blogger, now. Be prepared for me to be obnoxious.

Cheerio!

xoxo Gossip Girl

super duper pumped to go on this trip with you guys! WOOOOOOOO! *dancing girl emoji

I got to eat scones.

Coming to Stratford was like a breath of fresh air. I really do enjoy the peace and quiet of a small town; although I loved being in London being able to sleep and not be awoken by the police sirens every night and morning was quite nice. Plus being away from the Royal National was a real win. My first ideas of Stratford upon Avon were that is was going to be so so small with not many shops or entertainment but we got here I was happily mistaken. There is a theatre, a movie theater, lines of shopping strips, and so much delicious food. The gluten free options here in Stratford are amazing. The best town I’ve ever been in for my Celiacs. I only saw one restaurant here that did not have a gluten free menu (Libertine Burgers) and that made my heart so full and my wallet so empty. I don’t know what I imagined Shakespeare’s hometown to look like, but I wasn’t expecting such a small area. Stratford upon Avon is maybe a 35 minute walk to cross the town from top to bottom. His home though is something I had pictured correctly in my mind. A small three room wooden house with creaky floors and low ceilings. I didn’t expect the beautiful beds they had though with the gorgeous head boards and lined poles. And even the mattresses of hay looked comfier than I imagined. It is quite cute to think about the walk William and Anne had to take to get to one another’s houses. The gorgeous walk that must have been back then. There are many apartments and townhomes between the two houses now but I imagine there was a bit less concrete and more grass and dirt on the pathways to their loves homes. To be inappropriate, I wonder where they conceived their first child. The town is so small it seems near the river by Trinity Church would have been their best bet- yikes. 

From the beginning of this trip to now, my idea of professional theatre is entirely anew. I’ve only seen Broadway and TheatreSquared productions besides school shows so I’ve had a really great entrance into professional and regional theatre and coming here gave my egotistically some hope. There were shows I quite enjoyed and felt the caliber was exquisite and other shows we saw I kept imagining myself on that stage and the different choices I would have made as an actor. Not to say some actors were horrible, but some actors were horrible. I saw many acting sins committed on these stages and in a twisted way, I have the confidence to know my art can and will be displayed somewhere. Cause if these guys can do it, so can I. My favorite shows I saw ranged from West End shows to fringe theatre. It wasn’t the funding or the space that made these shows great, it was the acting and directing and technical elements the whole team brought to the table that touched my heart with ferocity. I am excited to be a part of this industry. I am excited to work hard and dedicate my life to telling stories. I love stories. I love human stories. And I love stories that make us forget about our current humanity. London helped shape my confidence and trust in myself, knowing that I am worth being on the stage for the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe I’ll do an age- bent version of As You Like It in my seventies. That would be quite cool. I hope to be a Kathy Bates of the theatre world. She just gets wiser in her acting as she ages and tops each performance with her next. Everyone thought she peaked when she was young and beautiful, but her true career had not even started yet. People thought Taking Off was her one shot, but who even remembers Taking Off anymore??? I am excited and invigorated to be making art. This gap year I am about to embark in is quite scary, but I think the fact I am scared is a good thing. It means I care, means I am yearning to grow. It means I am taking a chance on myself outside of the academic theatre. I’m proud of myself for taking this leap (even though I gave my parents a heart attack when I told them I deferred my acceptance to graduate school.), I’ve chosen to choose me first. And that hasn’t happened often yet. I’m really fucking proud of myself for that. Cheers to decades and decades of acting to come. I know she can do it.

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!

Since this is supposed to be the final/concluding blog post of this trip I guess my list will be my top ten favorite things that I have experienced so far. This is a hefty task so bear with me. 

1. FEMALE REPRESENTATION!! QUEER REPRESENTATION!! Really just representation in general, we have seen so many different types of people perform on this trip and it has been beyond word thrilling and heart warming! It gives me not only hope for my future career but also an increased passion to push the boundaries within theatre, any chance I get. 
2. The parks, gardens, greenery, nature, etc! There’s so much and yes, I know Fayetteville has its fair share of parks and tons of trees. But it has been some of my favorite moments just sitting somewhere surrounded by nature (and I’m usually not a big nature girly, I prefer my AC but when there isn’t any, you go outside). Everywhere is always so peaceful or gives something that is organically entertaining. I may or may not be turning into the Bird Woman from Mary Poppins. I’ve found such joy just sitting around talking and feeding the birds even when I wasn’t supposed to. 
3. THE PEOPLE!! We have all become one little family and I think I’m really going to miss meeting up with everyone everyday or waking up and just staring at Alyssa ten minutes before speaking in the morning. The bonds that we have created are ones that I will forever cherish and have made me not only learn about myself but more about what I want out of my future.
4. But also the people we have met out and about! There of course have been some people that I could go my entire life without ever meeting but Alan from the VA Museum, our waiter at Nonna Selena, the owner of Gay’s the Word Bookshop, the tour guide we had in Oxford, Amy at The Lion and The Fox the random people I’ve met and spoke to while I was waiting in the queue or stagedooring or even in the bathroom. The small conversations and kindness of strangers not only made me feel a little bit at home but also allowed me to learn more about British culture than I would have if I didn’t spark up a conversation. I learned lingo and places to visit, places to avoid. They gave me knowledge that google could never.
5. The time I didn’t spend on my phone, I know shocking. But I have still yet to make an actual Instagram post, I have been living in the moment without even realizing it. I’ve been trying to absorb every little thing I could. And it has really brought me to be more in touch with myself. 
6. The few times it’s rained, which were only in Stratford. But they were magical. I’m sitting here writing this while listening to the rain hit the window and it makes me want to cry because it is so serene. I waited for the rain to come for so long and I never thought it would. What a good way to end the trip.
7. Museums, I’ve learned that we have a love hate relationship. I love them when they are semi empty and people aren’t bumping into me and I love when there’s something in them that really excites me or I’m looking for something in particular. If I don’t feel a connection, then I’m a little less enthused. This could also be said for a lot of other experiences. For example, shows that didn’t capture my attention in the first twenty minutes, I had to work a little harder to keep myself present as an audience member. 
8. Tourist crap, I love it. The amount of Shakespeare themed things especially in Stratford has me in a chokehold, its so silly and I could drop some serious cash in their gift shops. 
9. I love a big city do not get me wrong, but I love the slower cities sooooo much. Like that there isn’t too much to do in Stratford, like there is but isn’t. It’s a lot of shopping and museums. And the city basiclaly closes down at like 8pm, it’s a nice litttle escape of trying to cram every single thing that London has to offer into a month, or squeeze in everything you possibly can into one day. I like the slower pace, it’s refreshing. 
10. Walking, another love hate realtionship. Because I truly truly miss my car and driving around. But getting to explore the backstreets and simply just get lost in random places, I could never do if I was driving around. I mean I probably could but GPS makes that a little harder. And by walking I felt like I was seeing more of the city than if I was always in a car or a coach or a bus. 

Stratford: Shakepeare’s wonderland. Truly a much slower city than London, which I do enjoy very much. But really everyone just comes here for the Shakepeare things, which I totally get. I mean that’s what we are doing is it not? I wish we could have maybe spent another day here and done soemthing not Shakespeare related and just something “Stratford-y”. I love all of the old buildings and thatched roofs that look slightly like melting sticks of butter. It really transports you back to the times of Shakespeare and truly he didn’t have much more to do than we do while we are here. Eat, drink, walk around, chit chat, and write. This place is literally a writers paradise the amount of times I wished and craved to just be sitting somewhere editing some of my work or reading, was the majority of the time here. There must be something in the air. This was a great place to end the trip on. As we have seen so many theatres that have changed the way we look and think about theatre and living in the hustle and bustle, comign to Stratford has almost forced us into a time of self reflection.

 England in general, you’re a real one. You might have made me feel like I was gonna die a few times thanks to the jet lag, black boogers, and food poisoning but your charm and lively spirit made up for it. My journey will still continue as the rest of my fellow travelers venture home. So London, I’m coming back for ya. And then to Paris, Rome, and Venice. I’ve if I have time to write maybe I’ll hope on here. If not I’ll leave you with this: 

Don’t overpack, you seriously don’t need as many clothes as you think you do. 

Try the weird food, even if you think its gonan hurt you, it’s worth it. 

Get lost, wander some place random, until your heart feels warm. 

Apperciate the small things and don’t forget to look out for them. Because the small little signs you need will reveal them selves to you. 

You will find happiness in the most unlikely people and places. 

Inspiration could strike at any moment, voice memos!

Don’t forget to just breathe and let go, everything usually has a funny way of working itself out. 

Listen, you can learn and aborb so much more! From people, places, anything. 

Cheers!

For the past two days, we have left lovely London and have been exploring the heart of Stratford-Upon-Avon. The two locations, while being in the same country, are vastly different. The bustling atmosphere was left behind after our two-hour commute to the quiet and quaint town of Stratford. Within the time we’ve been here, we have visited Shakespeare’s Birthplace and his wife’s cottage. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that I will always be shocked to realize that I’m walking in the same place as many have hundreds of year ago.

Stratford-Upon-Avon is like a town frozen in time. The streets are cobblestone, and the buildings look like melting cheese. A lot of the buildings are still the original buildings and have just been updated or supported over time. The shops inside the buildings are all new, so seeing a Subway next to Shakespeare’s Birthplace was a very silly sight.

The biggest difference between London and Stratford that I have noticed is for SURE the lack of public transportation. I never thought I’d miss the tube so much, even though it makes my nose turn black. After having to walk twenty-five minutes (or more) to Anne Hathaway’s cottage, I really missed having the tube to rely on. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to survive without having some form of transport that’s as easy as tapping in and out.

This trip so far has been absolutely amazing. It’s the first time I’ve been fully on my own and independent and able to make decisions based on my own scheduling. I went to Italy for a week when I was in eighth grade, but every minute of our lives was planned. But on this trip, we’ve had so much time to go out and explore and follow the interests we had. I’ve seen probably around sixteen shows, and most of them I probably wouldn’t have seen if I didn’t have that opportunity. I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button only because everyone had talked about how amazing it was. I wouldn’t have seen it without those influences.

I have also challenged myself to try new foods while I’m here. We’ve all become accustomed to using the term “When in Rome” even though we’re in England. I have tried a chicken schnitzel, butter chicken, and whatever “Real California Style Tacos” are. I’ve never been the type of person to really branch out and usually just stick with what I know or am familiar with. But being abroad encouraged me to try new things and experience everything I could.

I have made so many friends here as well. I came into this trip only knowing a handful of people and was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the experiences as much. But because we are all here together and because, naturally, everyone is so nice, I have never felt alone. And when I got a stroke of homesickness, I had so many people to turn to and feel better. And I got to spend my birthday here! And when I came downstairs, everyone had signed a birthday card for me. It was a sweet gesture that made me feel so happy, and it was within our first week here!

This experience has just been amazing, and I got to learn in such an immersive way. I was able to have so many self-guided tours of museums and the city and it was my favorite way to take it all in. Not to mention, I met at least 3 celebrities and NARROWLY missed being in the same theatre as Zendaya and Tom Holland (WHY UNIVERSE WHY). London has been a dream and I would love to come back someday (maybe even live here for a while). I hope to have an experience like this again and I will never forget the memories I have made here.