Before going abroad, I did not have much planned for what I would do in London. I basically wanted to see the tourist sites, go to the countryside, and see as many West End shows as possible (the West End is the Broadway of London). When arriving in London, I knew that I would need to do everything I possibly could in these three weeks and barely sleep, because I can of course sleep when I return home. I ended up doing far more in these three weeks than I could have ever anticipated. I was always exhausted, but it was so worth it. I of course went to the tourist spots, like Big Ben and the London Eye, but I was also able to go to a few places that even locals do not know about, such as Hever castle. This castle is in the countryside, so I not only got to see an amazing castle, but I also got to walk through and experience the countryside for an entire day. I also took a day trip to Oxford and another day trip to Cambridge. They were both so incredibly beautiful, and I have now decided that I want to live in Oxford, or else I will never be happy. It is genuinely the most beautiful place I have ever been, and I am dying to go back. I also got to see eight West End shows in these three weeks, as tickets are significantly cheaper than tickets for any performance in the states. All my tickets were around 30 pounds, and to put that in perspective, I paid $30 to see my friend in a community theatre performance the other day. I paid the same amount to see a professional production with well-known actors on a highly regarded stage in London as I did to see a nonprofessional community theatre production with my friends in a really small theatre in the U.S. Theatre is far more accessible to all in London than in America, which is why I love London immensely. I was also able to do teatime twice and it is one of my favorite memories from this trip. I went with a good group, and we absolutely devoured the tea and treats. We were sweating while drinking the tea because it was abnormally hot outside (very rare for London) but it was so worth it. The course I took was amazing, as I took a class about the museums and galleries of London, so we only met for lecture twice a week, and the other days we went to various museums and galleries. This was the perfect course to take while abroad for such a short time, because I got to visit all the places that I would have gone anyway, but since we did it during class time, I could spend my time exploring elsewhere. It was also fascinating to explore the galleries with a professor who could tell us more about each work than any of the information plaques could. This was the perfect trip and the best experience that I could have possibly had while abroad, and I cannot wait to eventually go back to London.
