Hello, and welcome to my blog!
All 17 of us in front of Big Ben
My adventure started last year when I switched majors from engineering to nursing. With the change came the opportunity to study abroad. I’ve always loved English culture, and because a nursing professor had recently filled the position of director, I selected the Cambridge program.
So, I am officially in Cambridge, England! Technically, I’m on my 5th day here, but at this point I’ve spent nearly as long in London as in Cambridge, so I have a little catching up to do. Packing was an adventure in itself. However, I was able to stuff everything in my suitcase and not only stay under the weight limit, but also leave myself a little room for souvenirs on the return trip. All 17 Valpo students studying at Cambridge this semester flew out on the same flight. The flight itself was very smooth with no major turbulence or delays, and we weren’t even out of the London airport before being bombarded by the change of culture: the crosswalks are painted with “LOOK RIGHT →”!
After somehow fitting 17 students (each packed for 4 months!) into an extremely small coach, we arrived at the Valparaiso University Student Centre in Cambridge. One of our first meals on English soil was at The Eagle – the famous pub where Watson & Crick discussed the structure of DNA. We were barely unpacked and acquainted with our new home before all 17 of us left to spend the weekend in London!
Buckingham Palace
After catching an early train through the fog into the city, we checked into our hostel and set out. During the following two days we attempted to hit as many major landmarks as we could. We started out at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Although the sun was in my eyes making it difficult to see the actual ceremony, I was able to get some good pictures of the palace itself. Afterwards, we continued towards the Horse Guards Parade, which will soon host volleyball during the upcoming Olympics. We stopped for photos at the ever-popular Big Ben, saw the beautiful Westminster Abbey, and had lunch in Trafalgar Square.
Going to Hogwarts from Kings Cross
That afternoon we took a bus tour around the city and saw The Mousetrap in London’s theatre district. We soon discovered getting restaurant or pub seats for all of us on a busy night in London would be impossible, so we split into smaller groups to eat and wander around the city. The next day we started with a cruise down the Thames River. The cruise stopped at the Tower of London, where the rest of the day was spent. Then, we were on our own to find our way back through the Underground to Kings Cross and catch a train back to Cambridge.
The journey back was really one of the most memorable sections of my London trip. Instead of being told what to do, or at least given step-by-step directions, it was up to me to take responsibility for finding routes back through London and to Cambridge in time for a speaker at 19:00 that night. It was kind of intimidating having not even been in the country long enough to get over my jet lag. However, it was more than a little exhilarating too! I am really excited to continue this feeling during the next 4 months. I hope you’ll continue to follow me for more of my upcoming adventures!
Follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/CambridgeUKJohn
See more photos on Picasa at: https://picasaweb.google.com/112463823006344854498/London?authuser=0&feat=directlink
January 19, 2014 at 4:28 am
Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass’ favor.