I had already been to London before; however, that was a carefully planned trip with my parents, and this trip is quite the opposite.  I was super excited to come back to London and when we arrived, in classic London fashion, it was raining.  Due to Killian and Eden’s unfortunate delay the first day ended up being a free day to do whatever so I walked around and got a lay of the land near the hotel.  The next day was a bit more eventful, after Killian arrived Ben, Killian, and I went to a pub for lunch and we ended up being the first customers ever there and so I got a free pint.  After that we went to Leicester square via the tube.  I had been on the tube before and was very familiar with the New York subway system so it wasn’t completely foreign to me but I definitely didn’t miss the overly crowded trains.  That night we saw “Boys from the Blackstuff” at The National Theatre which was incredible.  Earlier in the day Shawn talked about how in Russell Square station you can talk the stairs or the lift and how you may think that you can do the stairs but you can’t because there are 175 stairs, so coming back from the show I took the stairs.  I started running up the stairs before the lift had opened, giving me a head start, but halfway my legs started hurting.  Nevertheless, I persisted and even ended up beating the lift, but was completely worn out afterward.  Today was an early start at St. Paul’s cathedral which was incredible and also had even more stairs to get to the top with 528 stairs; however the stairs were worth it because it led to an amazing view of the London skyline.  Tonight we went to see “The Mousetrap” which was an incredible whodunnit show.  At intermission I made a 10 pound bet on who it was and ended up being right.  So far I’ve gone up 703 stairs and gotten about 16 free pounds with hopefully less stairs and more free pounds to come in the rest of the trip.  I’m very happy with how this trip has been so far and I can’t wait to see what the rest has to offer.

The free pints

View from the top of St. Paul’s

The very first day, we learned how to use London’s tube system. This is the main way people travel around London. It is possible to get to many places on the tube. To ride the tube, I had to buy an Oyster card. Everyone must use their Oyster card to enter and exit the tube stations. The tube ran underground and had to be accessed via elevators, stairs, or escalators. The escalators and stairs both had advertisements for plays and musicals going up them.

Inside the tube stations, the walls and ceiling were made of green and white tiles and were very old. It felt dingy but was very well lit. There were also large advertisements along the walls where the tube runs.

The amount of people on the tube varied throughout the day.  At noon, there were not many people on the tube. It was still kind of difficult to get a seat, but there was plenty of room to stand.  At 6:30pm, the tube was full of people packed in like sardines. There was no space on the first train that showed up and we had to wait for a second train. By 10:30pm, the trains were very open. There was a lot of space and plenty of open seats, which was nice after a long day.

Many different types of people rode the tube. While most people were younger and appeared to be in their 20s to 50s, there were some older people in their 60s to 70s, and I saw a young teen, who seemed to be traveling by herself.  Most of the people were wearing leisure wear but some were dressed up and wearing fancy clothes.  Everyone either had their bag in their lap or by their side and they always had at least one arm around their bag.

Was the tube difficult to use: yes and no. If I were a little bit more competent it would be fairly simple to navigate. I got confused on where I’m supposed to get off and which train I’m supposed to get on. I’m sure I could fix that by studying the train map and downloading a tube app.

After we left the tube station, I got to experience London. I had always heard that big cities were dirty, but I was happily surprised to see that public areas in London are kept very clean except for the occasional pile of trash bags. The environment is accessible and beautiful. Even the ground is pretty. The sidewalks are made of stones, not giant slabs of concrete.

There are also lots of shops and eating places and I noticed many removable gates and fences. Public areas are very open and I think it is definitely possible to walk anywhere. While we were walking, I noticed many many statues with plaques describing what and/or who they are.

I have lived so many different lives since I left home and arrived to London. It was my first time ever flying, with separate flights and internationally by myself. It was a complicated process (to say the least). Then when I finally arrived in London, it turned out I landed in the wrong airport. Instead of landing at Heathrow where everyone else landed, I landed at the Gatwick Airport. The only reason I even figured it out, was because Louis arrived a few hours after I did. Which shout out to him! Anyway, I didn’t know what to do. How did I not realize this before? I had to stop myself from FREAKING out, and quickly calmed myself. I quickly googled the best way to get to Heathrow and found a bunch of bus sites. I looked at a bus coming in 30 mins and without thinking too much, I booked it.  I was so nervous paying for the ticket online, I didn’t know how any of it worked (or if it was gonna be a scammed). I zoomed out of the airport, looked for the bus station, and got lost pretty quickly. I had to (for the first time) ask some locals for help, and I am so glad I did. They guided me to the right area, I found the bus station, and the correct pick-up location. I was so thankful all the signs were in English because that was the only way I figured out my way through. Although this whole process was very stressful, the actual bus ride to Heathrow was calming, and a nice way to see more of the countryside. I sat in the very front of the bus and could see everything. I found the flow of traffic and their transit system to be so interesting. It worked so smoothly, even with the amount of traffic coming in and out. It was also very GREEN everywhere. Which I loved because while it was super cloudy outside, the green of the trees and hills made it so comforting.

Once I arrived at Heathrow, everything moved so fast. I had to navigate the tube AT the airport, and go through a bunch of different elevators to get to the right terminal. That was my first taste of what the actual tube in London felt like. But we made it to the right terminal and reunited with everyone!

            The actual tube in London was SO CONFUSING at first. I was nervous I wasn’t going to ever understand how to navigate it, but after our late-night adventures, I think I’m getting it now. I enjoyed the rush of trying to get a seat, and making sure everyone had boarded the tube. I might sound crazy for that, but it was exciting to rush in and get a spot! It was so funny to me when I had to stand and hold on to the bar because it reminded me of using the UARK buses. This was also the closest experience I had to using public transport on a daily occasion. Expect the tube is a much more complicated system, and connects to a whole city.

I also happened to find the hard way that the tube closes at midnight, which led some of us to walk 20 mins back to the hotel. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining at all. That walk home was an unforgettable experience. Everywhere you go, London is so beautiful in its architecture. But when the streets were completely empty, with no one in sight, it was incredible. We were in our own little world, and anything was possible in that moment.

Anyway, I must go now, my roommate accidentally dropped our toilet paper INSIDE the toilet. The entire roll. LOL, see you all very soon. 

-Cheers,

Belinda Almaraz

Hello to all of the various creeps who are stalking me as I journey through the great city of London! I am currently on my third day here and am having a great time. Let’s go through some highlights.

Today the group rode the tube to St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is something that I have been wanting to do for a very long time.

The photos truly do not do it justice. The art alone was a religious experience, and I would love to go again. I also conquered the perilous climb to the very top of the cathedral, at a whopping 528 steps to get to the top (and all 528 down again, plus some that we took multiple times). Some of the steps were absurdly short whereas others were exceedingly steep, so I would rate the St. Paul’s Cathedral steps as, on average, about average height. Once we got to the top, the view was absolutely gorgeous. There is something to the victorious feeling of having climbed that high, and experiencing that while the wind is blowing through your hair 365 feet above London.

As for my experience riding the tube (or the subway, as you Americans would call it), I have honestly been having a blast. I wish that America would take notes on the public transportation systems here (they need the help!). Yesterday we went on a walking tour from Piccadilly Circus to Buckingham Palace, with intermittent aid from the tube to get between locations. I got familiar with it pretty quickly and as of today have been riding on my own!

During our tour yesterday, we learned how to use our Oyster cards on the tube. Our journey consisted mainly of taking a photo in front of the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus, then trekking determinedly through the torrential downpours of London (which was actually just a light drizzle) to Buckingham Palace. I even got a halfway decent picture to commemorate seeing the king’s quarters!

Today, after our aforementioned tour of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the group of losers seen in the Buckingham Palace picture walked aimlessly through the commercial, financial, and fashion districts near the City of London. Somewhere in there I got a pretty sick falafel wrap from Oliver’s Falafel. We walked probably more than 3.1 miles (update: I wrote this about 5 hours ago and have since talked to the people who were tracking their steps and I can now confirm I walked about 12 miles, actually…) before just going home, then wandering around a little closer to the hotel. It’s a crazy life we live, right?

More to come!

CW

My first impression of London was lovely. The architecture layout and history of the buildings means everywhere I go is a joy to look at. The layout of the city is amazing and its fascinating to see how no matter where you are there’s always something close for you to do, whether that’s an art exhibit or a peculiar book shop. My first impressions of the Tube system was amazement at how easy and convenient it was. Everything about the underground in London blows my mind that this kind of thing isn’t in every city as it makes travel to anywhere a joy rather than a burden. While it may look complicated it’s really laid out so that anyone regardless of experience would be able to use it. We took the Tube to Saint Paul’s cathedral today and it was a historically beautiful structure. The architecture, history and symbology demonstrated within its stone walls were a marvel to behold. I climbed to the top despite my fear of heights and got a stupendous view of London that was just breathtaking. Though I will say by the end of the climb down my legs were shaking and my knees felt as though they would fail me if I stood still too long. We have already traveled so much that my feet feel like they’re about to give out but the joy of exploring this wondrous city was worth every second. We also recently saw Agatha Christie’s MouseTrap and it was an exemplary play. I was laughing through the whole of it and though I won’t give it away I was thoroughly surprised by the ending. We also saw the boys from the blackstuff and that play was so moving it really touched on relevant issues in today’s world and as I was watching it I couldn’t help but wish that the University could do a shop such as this.

If I was to describe London in one word, I think it would be “small.” Not in the sense that London itself is a small town, but in the way that everything is so tightly packed together. Riding through the city from Heathrow, the buildings on either side of the road loomed and towered over us, walling us in. Roaming the hallways of the hotel and the alleys of the city, that tightness and almost claustrophobic sense remains ever present. Entering shops and even walking through St. Paul’s Cathedral, it feels like a crapshoot on whether or not I will hit my head on the ceiling, or be able to squeeze myself through the tight passageways. Going on the tube, I occasionally felt like a sardine at the bottom of the can from how crowded and small the car was, and the time frame to get on sometimes felt even smaller. The entirety of London, as far as I’ve seen, has echoed this small, tight feeling. 

That cramped tightness, however, is not a drawback to the city for me. With each doorway I narrowly avoid caving my frontal lobe on and each alleyway I walk down, I become more ingrained with the city. I feel less like a tourist, walking through a big metropolis, awestruck by each office building I see stretching into the sky, and more like a traveler, getting to know an unfamiliar city more personally and in a way unique to me. My explorations in London have made me feel local, such as walking into a restaurant and accidentally being applauded by the staff and owner as the first customers since they’re renovation, and being given a free meal because of it. This feeling of smallness and locality has even made the touristy moments when I am awestruck by the absurdly tall office building even more incredible, such as walking through Leicester Square or across the bridge to the National Theatre, or staring out across the city at the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral (the awe was slightly overshadowed by my exhaustion from the stairs and incredible fear of heights). 

London, in and of itself, is far from a small town. But from the way that the city is built, to the experiences I’ve had, it feels so much smaller than it truly is. And I love that.

Despite an unpleasant airport odyssey beginning my trip, London has been incredibly exciting to explore. Beginning a day later than most of the group, my first day in London was greeted by free pints and historic photographs being taken. Yes, as you’ll soon find out on the wall, or maybe just the owner’s cell phone, two classmates and I were the very first patrons to enter the newly renovated London Pub! While that was very exciting it would start a day that, while fun, felt incredibly jarring. As tiredness set in, everything was so new and fun that at times I worried I wasn’t able to truly appreciate it. This morning was a whole other story. After touring the beautiful St Paul’s cathedral some classmates and I went clothing shopping, discovered an amazing falafel place, navigated the tubes for ourselves, and truly got to experience the city!

So what do I mean by experiencing the city? I meant that once given some time to walk around, post sleeping that is, a completely new sense of scale set in. Gone was the roller coaster of yesterday and as the track was removed we got a chance to see what it would be like to actually exist in a city of this scale. On that same token, the sense of scale provided a realization that even in a month there’s now way we could experience everything this city has to offer. With every street, an alley leading to more shops. Every building’s history sometimes dating back hundreds of years. Most importantly though, on almost every other street something theater related! The city holds such an obvious love for the craft it’s incredible. Which is why I’m so excited to see so many more shows while we’re here. One down with The Boys From the Blackstuff, a great show despite being a bit rough at times due to its newness, 12 more to go!

It all started when I almost got run over by a car, but I need to provide some context first. We had just arrived and checked in at the National Royal Hotel. I had not gotten much sleep on the plane, just 30 minutes here or there, so I was drowsy to the point of loopiness after our eight-hour flight across lands and seas. Shawn (our professor) took us to a market very close to our hotel. At the market, I was determined to get in and out so I could settle into my hotel room properly. I popped in for the essentials of tampons, toothpaste, a shampoo bar, an umbrella, prosecco, and some sushi for dinner. Throughout my shopping, I noticed how overwhelmed I was feeling. I didn’t know where anything was. I was trying to find brands I was familiar with. All while converting euros to dollars in my head. I felt extremely self-conscious of my naivety to the city and just felt in the way of everyone around me. As I left the store, I checked both ways before crossing the alley street. When a group of girls crossed the street in front of me I went with them, only to have a car zoom down the alley as I was halfway across. The driver came to a very abrupt stop a foot before colliding with me. I almost dropped all my groceries right there but I just huffed and finished crossing. The driver stuck his head out and yelled “You should apologize you f**kin b*tch!!”. The girls in front of me both gave him the finger and so I said “Piss off.” They laughed and we just kept walking. I was wide awake after that.

I was shaken but in one piece when I got back to my hotel room. I put all my clothes and belongings up in my armoire and vanity. I took a nice long hot shower and changed into fresh clothes. I lay in my super comfy twin bed (which I’m pretty sure the mattress and comforter are stuffed with feathers from cupid wings and the fat of baby whales or something stupidly cushy) thinking my first day in London can’t end like this. I know that I can do this study abroad thing. I don’t want to be scared of the city or being in another country. I’m a smart independent stylish woman and a rugby lad for crying out loud, if anyone can live in London it’s me. So I made spontaneous plans cause that’s how non-male son Skochs role. *bicep emoji*. I looked at events and shows that were playing that night, and low and behold my favorite musical (besides Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The Musical) was playing at the Lyric Theatre. Which is only three tube stops from my hotel. (Have I ever been on a London tube before? No, but f**k it, we ball). My roommate and amazing personal stylist Christina helped me choose an outfit that gave the energy of a glamorous 1920s palm reader. I made it to the Russell Square tube station and went in. I knew it was in Leicester Square, but confirmed with a very pleasant English gentleman, and made it. Navigating the tubes was easier than I thought, but that first time COMPLETELY by myself was super stressful. It was raining heavily but I went through Chinatown to the theatre fairly dry. 

The show was absolutely breathtaking and completely changed my strained but happy first impressions of London. There are no words to express the depth of emotion that comes to my heart upon recounting the memory of this particular showing of Hadestown. Seeing the beauty of that production cured any doubt or anxiety I had about being here. The diversity of the cast told this story in a completely new light. It was fantastic and the singing was phenomenal. Because of my complicated history with Hadestown, seeing the show on my own after all this time healed wounds in my soul I hadn’t realized were still open. I felt rejuvenated with a new sense of person and felt a peculiar peace. If this is the art that can be found in London, I know I am in the right place. I made friends with someone named Kristy at the show, and we went for pints after. They live near Wales and are also visiting London. We went to The White Stallion Pub and conversed for a few hours, which was so nice. We talked in depth about what our homes are like and what it was like to be nonbinary queer people on our sides of the Atlantic Ocean. We talked about the call we both have to art and theatre. We laughed about the concerning systems of education for both the UK and US universities. We went our separate ways at the tube. It was all in all a very wonderful first experience of London. Much more has happened since that first day in London, and I am excited to show my girlfriend, best friend (you know who you are Leah), and my family these Google slides I am putting together full of pictures.

Last observations of London: The streets are clean for such a large city. The people are stylish, expressive, and diverse. Londoners keep more to themselves than Americans do for sure. Something I was curious about is the lack of a homeless population concerning the scale of London, like where are they? No one screams oi governa’ across the street. No monocles or top hats yet. Everything is expensive. The friendliest people you meet are always behind the bar. Americans are so loud compared to English folk. American fashion is basic. I think the age 21 restriction on alcohol in the US is one of the reasons we have so many alcoholics at home. Every English person has a Hogwarts house, no one has let me down yet. The wanted posters on London buildings are terrifying and ominous. I love pigeons. No matter how many walls at the tube I run into, I still can’t find platform 9 3/4. I think Londoners are just as confused with their walking on the left side of sidewalks as we are. I’m still looking for Diagon Alley, my hands hurt from tapping all the bricks and they keep threatening me with this “looney bin” thing. People in London walk with such a purpose that I think they all look like secret celebrities. Found the Tardis and went on a adventure through time and space, check in for next blog post. Every building in London looks like a work of art and even the ones under construction look like unveiled pieces of art as they’re draped and covered in tarps.