Our trip started with 3 days in London for Arcadia orientation. I met up with the other 4 students on the Arcadia program going to Swansea the first night we were there and we all started hanging out together. We had some boring orientation lectures, like the differences in the education systems and how we should be representing America, but we also had some pretty cool lectures, like when a member of the House of Commons and of the House of Lords came in to tell us some about politics. We also got to do some sightseeing, they took us on a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and to a show at the Phoenix Theater called Blood Brothers, with Sporty Spice playing the lead role. My friends and I did some sightseeing on our own too one day in the snow. We were really excited to take pictures with the Palace guards in the snow, but apparently Britain shuts down in the snow and we found that to be amazingly true when we got to Buckingham Palace to find that there were no guards outside.
We ended up with a lot of funny stories from London, like the night we finally figured out the tube system. We got on a tube that we thought was going to where we wanted then after like 2 stops we realized we should get off and check it out again. Turns out it was wrong and then we realized the railings inside the tube show you the color of the line so after that we had it all figured out. A lot of people went out and started drinking right away from the day we got there, we didn't even have our first drink until the 3rd night...we felt so lame. We went to Harrods and acted like complete tourists walking around and looking at everything we couldn't afford then we went to the Arcade and I bought a westie stuffed animal because westies are popular over here and I miss my puppies and it was all I could afford!
Since we got here, everyone has been apologizing to us for Britain and it’s awful cold and snow. They don’t understand that every one of the Americans who are here are from places where it snows way more than here. The temperatures have been right around 0 degrees Celsius and they are walking around bundled up like I’d imagine people in Alaska. It is quite ridiculous. I just can’t get over all the people saying I’m so sorry for my country for welcoming you with this kind of horrible weather…I just want to tell them all the I love the snow and I can’t imagine a better way to see a country! It is beautiful!
London was amazing, I really hope we get to go back and spend some more time there! It is a lot like NYC which I love, but I definitely like London better. London isn't quite as overwhelming and it's easier to get around and I definitely felt safer than in NYC.
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