We finally came home after an adventure of a lifetime. I have made such wonderful and lifelong friends. There are things about England that I miss, but at the same time there are other things that I appreciate even more about the states.
Land Ho!!! I’ve made it to America.
Double-Decker!
Just playing catch up, but two weeks ago, C-95 traveled north to the Lake District to hike among the sheep and stone walls. We also were able to see Fountains Abbey (an old Abbey in ruins) and Chatsworth House (a rich family estate that the family opened as a tourist attraction in order to protect it from harsh taxes). It was a great trip!
Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Saint Mary’s Church – Fountains Abbey
Lake District
Lake District
Lake District
Lake District
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House Gardens with Sarah.
Two days ago, everyone finished with final papers and projects at the Center. It is crazy how fast time has gone this semester. I know I speak for everyone when I say that it flew by much faster than we would have liked. Since I have been here longer than most people who do this program, I think it will be that much harder to say goodbye. For my final post, I just wanted to share a few thoughts and things I’ve learned while Studying Abroad.
The world is much bigger now. I have travelled to other countries before coming here, but that was nothing compared to living in another culture. I figured out how to travel on my own, and navigate a completely different culture on my own, and for that reason, I will never look at the world the same way anymore. I am no longer a part of a small, American bubble; I have international eyes.
It’s okay to not go it alone. I am a very independent person. I don’t mind going places on my own, and being on my own. Sometimes I function better that way. But I could not have done this without the people that I have had the honor of meeting this semester. They have taught me that I don’t always have to be alone, and that building relationships with them and making them my family is just as important as the things I’m doing and seeing.
Take the jump. I take risks all the time. I wasn’t afraid of spending a year in another country, away from my family and friends and my home. I knew that this place was going to be my home, and I was okay with that. But I have also learned that if I have ever had to make a decision about taking a day trip or staying home, going out or staying in, making friends or staying away, you take the jump. Do the things you might not want to do, and you might find something incredible. It’s worth the risk.
It’s okay to do things for you. One of the things that I am best at is taking care of other people. If you need help, you can bet that I’ll be there, and if you need me, I’m here for you. When you spend so much time taking care of other people, sometimes you forget to do things for yourself. This experience abroad has been all about doing things for me, and while that took a lot of getting used to, it was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. I got to know myself, who I am, and who I want to be so much better, just living here. It’s an eye-opening thing, and I am so grateful to have had that opportunity.
Goodbye is not forever. One of my housemates has said to me, “Turn what you love about this place, and make it your reason to come back.” Living here for a year, and not wanting to go home at all, it’s hard to hear someone say that, because it doesn’t help me feel better about leaving. But what he said was true, and it’s important to remember, because this doesn’t have to be the end. This place is your home; it leaves an impression on you, takes a piece of your heart. I know that I will be back, and that I have all these memories to hold onto. Saying goodbye to this experience doesn’t mean that this is where it ends; I will come back home.
It’s been an amazing year, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I appreciate the opportunities I have had while I’ve been here, and I look forward to the next chapter in my life as this one closes. Thank you all for reading.
Stephanie
Director Ringenberg took us on our highly-anticipated punting class trip! It was a beautiful, warm spring (summer?) day. Our guide, who was originally from Romania, gave us a brief history of the buildings and colleges as we punted down the river. Many of the buildings date back to the 13th and 14th centuries! It was a great time and Brendan and I both learned how to punt! Apart from running our punt through two willow trees and crashing into a bridge, I think I did alright!
Cambridge, England
Cambridge, England
Left to Right: (Emily P., Brendan, Sarah, Stephanie)
Cambridge, England
Mathematical Bridge, Queen’s College, Cambridge, England
Cambridge, England
London is an amazing city. There are so many things to do and places to see. Some people say that if you get bored in London, that means you’re bored with life, just because there’s so much to explore. I could never get tired of London. Even now, after living her for almost nine months, there is still a list of things that I haven’t seen yet that I want to see.
Greenwich, London
On a sunny Saturday, I attempted to cross some of these things off my list. Brendan and I headed to London for the afternoon. Our first stop was Greenwich to see the Queen’s Palace and the astronomy tower where the Prime Meridian is. It was a gorgeous day outside, so the walk up to the astronomy tower didn’t seem so bad. We sat up on top of the hill for awhile, talked, and looked out over London.
The Monument at Trafalgar Square
Our next stop was Trafalgar Square. I have been to London dozens of times, but believe it or not, I had never stopped and walked around Trafalgar Square before. We took some time and walked around the lion statues before stepping inside the National Gallery. Our art professor had recommended going into an art museum and staring at a piece of art for ten minutes, and then leave. The purpose is to try and find a piece of art that speaks to us, and see what we observe. We decided to try it, and only spent a few minutes in the National Gallery, looking for art that spoke to us. For me, any painting that has the ocean or water of some kind is something I gravitate to.
MI6
London from MI6
From Trafalgar Square, we walked down to Westminster Palace and Westminster Abbey. Then we walked along the river to see MI6. Brendan and I are both fans of James Bond, and seeing MI6 was pretty cool. Obviously, we couldn’t go in, because it’s so heavily guarded and has lots of barbed wire around it. We just enjoyed seeing the building.
Regent’s Park
We finished our day with a trip to see 221B Baker Street and a walk through Regent’s Park. 221B Baker street was just a door with a sign referencing Sherlock Holmes, but it was still cool to see where he was written to have lived. We walked through Regent’s Park near sunset, so it was glowing in the light, and it was so pretty.
There are still more things that I want to do in London, but this was a start at completing my list. I had a lot of fun walking around with Brendan, and I can’t wait to go back to London for one final time before I leave in May!
As some of my friends were off on the continent of Europe, I decided to stay back and go to London. I just love the city so much. I saw my favorite places and I even swam in the London Olympic Pool!
London, England
London, England
St. James Park, London
Buckingham Palace, London
London Olympic Aquatic Centre – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
London Olympic Aquatic Centre – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
London Olympic Aquatic Centre – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
If you stroll along the river Cam towards the south for about two miles or so, you run into the lovely village of Grantchester. It is beautiful to walk along the fields and see the country side. We even had to make our way through several cows as they grazed along the path. It was lovely to see a village that is less commercial and truly more British.
On the way to Grantchester
Tea Garden in Grantchester
Grantchester, England
During the second part of second break, my mom flew overseas to stay with me for a week. I have currently been abroad for eight months, and have not seen any member of my family until she came, so it was nice to see someone after only using FaceTime for eight months. I got the chance to show her where I live and the things that I do for fun, which was really exciting.
St. Paul’s Cathedral over Millennium Bridge
On one day she was here, we travelled to London for the day. We lucked out and had absolutely beautiful weather when we were there. It was sunny, with just a few clouds in the sky, albeit a little windy. Our first stop of the day was to take the Tube to Black Friars, and walk over Millennium Bridge. The last time my mother was in London, Millennium Bridge didn’t even exist, so this was a first for her. I love it when you cross the bridge to the other side and see St. Paul’s Cathedral on the other side.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
We called it our day of theatre, because everything we did related to theatre in some way or another. We went and visited Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. I have never been there, and, again, the last time my mother was in London, the reconstruction of the Globe did not exist either, so this was a first for both of us. It was a lot smaller on the inside than I had expected, but I really liked how it looked very much like it belonged during the Tudor period, and how exact they were with those details. If I had more time (and money), I would love to go see a play performed there.
Our other theatre-related event of the day was to see Wicked. I have already seen it once, but I loved it so much that I knew that I had to take my mom to see it. She had wanted to see it a long time ago, and never got the chance, so this was the perfect opportunity. We enjoyed an afternoon matinee of witches and munchkins and the Land of Oz, which was even better than the first time that I saw it.
Burghley House
On the last full day of my mother’s time in England, we travelled up to Stamford and visited Burghley House. It is one of the largest Elizabethan houses in England, and it was used as the setting for Rosings Park in the 2005 version of “Pride and Prejudice.” It was a two mile walk from the train station, which, after not being used to walking everywhere, made my mother very tired, but it was totally worth it. The outside of the house is beautiful, and the inside holds a lot of really interesting art, and a room dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I.
I had a good time with my mom, but her visiting me reminded me that I’m going to be going home soon, which I am not quite ready for. I’ve been here a long time, so long that it’s my home now, and so going back to the US is going to be very strange. But before then, I’m going to make the most of my days here!
I felt like a mariner on the second have of my Swedish adventure. I spent a couple days out sailing in the Stockholm Archipelago, visiting beautiful islands. This is a top vacation destination in the summertime. Stockholm is also lovely while covered in fresh snow!
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm Harbor – Royal Palace
Stockholm Archipelago
Vaxholm Fortress
Finnhamn Island
Finnhamn Island
Stockholm Archipelago
I loved Scandinavia so much that I had to return! Over our two week break, I explored Stockholm and its archipelago. I spent my first few days just in the city. The harbor is gorgeous. I saw the famous (or infamous) Vasa warship from the 1600s and the largest IKEA store in the world (IKEA is a Swedish company).
Stockholm Harbor
Stockholm Harbor
Stockholm Harbor
Vasa warship – Stockholm
Vasa warship – Stockholm
Stockholm
IKEA – Stockholm
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