Author: Caroline Dienes

Program:  Cambridge, England – Study Center

My Name is Caroline. I Like The Beatles.

Cambridge, Caroline Dienes

It’s obvious to say that a big reason I chose to study abroad in England was because of The Beatles. If you know me, or have just looked at me, you may have come to the conclusion that The Beatles are a big part of my life. My parents met because of them so, if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t exist. Literally. I have a lot to thank them for. Suffice it to say, I felt like it was my responsibility in the Cambridge cohort to become the unofficial Beatles tour guide while in London. And, of course, the number one destination on the list was Abbey Road. If you have never heard The Beatles’ music in your life, I’ll fill you in on what Abbey Road is. Abbey Road is the street that’s home to a very famous music studio that The Beatles and many other bands have worked in and created unforgettable music, Abbey Road Studios. Now, the thing you must do while at Abbey Road is recreate the worldwide known Beatles album cover.

Here are a few tips for your very own recreation:

1. Walk like a normal human being. Don’t freeze in mid-walk and fling your arms in the air. Nobody anywhere walks like that.
2.  Be assertive when it comes to traffic. Surprisingly, nobody is going to stop traffic while you’re waiting for someone to take your picture. Who do you think you are? The Beatles? The people in cars know what you’re trying to do, so wait for an opening in traffic, make your move, and don’t speed up if a car is coming. Don’t let a stranger ruin one of your only chances to be like The Beatles for the day!
3. Make a new friend and offer to take their picture, but only if they take your picture in return. They’re all Beatles fans like you. They’re fab.

After Abbey Road, Liverpool was the next stop – the birthplace of The Beatles. Clearly there are hundreds of Beatles sites to hit in Liverpool, but I believe that what a few members of the group and I did was more personal and meaningful. We saw the new Beatles documentary, “Eight Days A Week.” In Liverpool…where it all started. It was unreal.

Cambridge, Caroline Dienes

Before the film even started, a video of Ron Howard (the director), Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr played in which they personally thanked everyone viewing the picture in Liverpool. Even while sitting in the theatre listening to them, I couldn’t believe it. I was in that large pool of audience members that they were thanking. After the film, we kept the Beatles theme going and went to the Cavern Club, where The Beatles first played as a group. I kept thinking to myself, “How is any of this real?”. But, in the words of The Beatles, “Nothing is real.” So, I just have to accept the fact that I’m going to be experiencing many more unreal situations with my time here. My other cohort friends continually asked me, “Why would you just go see a movie with your time in a brand new place?” Seeing that movie was the only thing I wanted to do in Liverpool. I don’t think I have ever smiled that much or had never-ending goosebumps in any other movie.

Cambridge, Caroline Dienes

Hello. My name is Caroline Dienes and, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I like The Beatles. A few Beatles wishes have come true in this first month of being abroad. These wishes also came true in the presence of friends, which is all that I could ask for! Being a lone Beatles fan can make you feel like a nowhere man sometimes. But with a little help from my friends, The Beatles have gotten an even stronger hold on me since I’ve began my journey abroad.

All You Need Is Love,

-Caroline Dienes

Author: Caroline Dienes

Program: Cambridge, England

Let’s face it, layovers can be a drag for many reasons. First off, they can be nine hours long. Second, you have to trudge around the airport with your multiple carry on bags. Third, the thought of boarding another plane is simply annoying and stressful. Fourth, you can misplace some very important documents you need for that next flight. And lastly, the layover can be in a strange place that you’ve never been before, like Iceland.

Layovers can be a drag, but in my case, it was a tiny trip before I actually arrived at my study abroad location. Three other students in the Cambridge program and I landed in Keflavik, Iceland at 6:30 in the morning and, almost immediately, things decided to go off the rails. My passport and boarding pass somehow vanished from my purse, and I instantly went into panic mode. I frantically ran to the service desk, told an employee my predicament, and they made a phone call to see if I could get back on the plane to search for my vital pieces of paper. While they were on the phone, I began rummaging through my backpack to see if I accidentally placed them in there. And guess what…they were both there. Crisis averted.

Pictured: Shannon O’Keefe, Becky Valek, Alec Chase.

After we finally got out of the airport, the four of us started our nine hour adventure in Iceland. We decided to go to Viking World in Keflavik, because, you know, why not. It was a petite museum that told the history of the Vikings and included a complimentary breakfast of croissants, oatmeal, and fruit. There were also plenty of rocks outside for us to climb and walk on, thus confusing the other museum goers inside because apparently no one else found the rocks interesting. Granted, we got there the moment the museum opened, it was a perfect place to spend four hours. I highly recommend it to be a layover/stopover/actual destination in someone’s near future.

After the Icelandic journey came to an end, I eventually got to my final destination – Cambridge, England. Now, I am here until December, but I can’t help but think that I am going to miss Iceland. So many rocks. So much Viking trivia. So little ice, yet so much land. Good thing the four of us have another layover in Iceland when we fly back to the States, but this time…it will be 17 hours.

Stay Fresh,

Caroline