I have been very busy!

Hello friends and family! Sorry I have not posted in a while; I have been very busy balancing schoolwork with exploring London. I have been able to see a lot of cool sites because many of my classes take place throughout London rather than in a classroom. Also, in most of my free time when I’m not doing homework I try to go out and see or do something new. Here are some of the fun things I have been up to in the last week:

Last week my Cultures of London class took place at Westminster Abbey. So many historical figures are buried there and I found it interesting that they are organized by occupation: royalty, scientists, poets, etc. Of course the highlight of this excursion was seeing the Clare coat of arms in the stained glass windows of the Chapter House. Although I had already been to Westminster Abbey, I loved it just as much the second time so if you are ever in London this is a must!

On Thursdays I don’t have class until 5pm so my friends and I try to do something fun in the morning/afternoon. Last Thursday we went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. However we should have done our research ahead of time because once we got there we found out the changing of the guard does not take place on Thursdays. Hopefully we see it another time! Then we went shopping on Oxford Street which has to be my favorite thing to do in London. Since we are on student budgets we usually don’t get anything, just look and try stuff on.

A few days ago our whole program went to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to see a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We were required to read the play so it was fun seeing it actually performed. The production really emphasized the comedic aspects of the play and also added music, singing, dancing, and contemporary references. I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting. We had to stand the whole play like they did during Shakespeare’s time and since I had four classes earlier that day I was already exhausted. Other than being tired, I’m glad I had this experience.

Two of my friends and I went to a special exhibit at the Tate Modern the other day. The exhibit was called Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life and it was really interesting. The art was so cool but I don’t really know how to describe it. I recommend looking up his work and check out my photos of it. We also went to the top floor of the museum to see a spectacular view of London. I definitely want to go back to this museum to see the rest of the exhibits.

Today I went on a Harry Potter walking tour. For anyone that knows me, you know I LOVE Harry Potter! This tour went to different places in London where the movies were filmed or a certain part of the books was inspired by. I touched the same wall that Rupert Grint touched in Deathly Hallows: Part One to enter the Ministry of Magic! We walked down the alleys that inspired Diagon and Knockturn Alley. I learned that for the premiere of Deathly Hallows: Part Two they shut down Trafalgar Square which is a huge deal. Every week I am entering the Friday Forty raffle to try and win tickets to the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play. Wish me luck that I win before I leave!

To see pictures of all these things check out my Photos page! I have my first tests this week which I am nervous for and don’t know what expect. My friends and I booked a big trip this week for our week off in November. If you made it through reading this long post, thanks for your support!