Over the summer, I had the pleasure of studying abroad in England. I took part in the University of Sussex Summer Institute as a Fulbright Summer Institute Participant. I lived on campus and studied British Children’s Literature. Although I was only abroad for a month, my trip was jammed pack with going new places, eating new things, and meeting new people. I’d love to tell you guys a little about my experience — and what better way than with pictures?
Let’s start with one of the biggest sights. You guessed it: Big Ben. This was my first trip into London. I rode the London Eye, took a boat tour of the River Thames, and took a peek at the Crown Jewels. However, you’re not allowed to get a camera anywhere near the Crown Jewels so I thought I’d share this picture of me looking extremely excited in front of Big Ben. (Fun Fact: Big Ben is actually the name of the bell INSIDE the clock tower!)
A lot of the places that I visited in England were cool because this was my first time in England. Most of the places we visited were double cool because I had read about them in books. Oxford, pictured above, was one of those places. When I was younger, I was mildly obsessed with Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Part of the first book, The Golden Compass, takes place in a fictionalized Oxford. Of course, I had to check it out. Oxford is also home to the Bodleian Library, which was built in 1602 and can be spotted in some Harry Potter scenes.
So a loooooong time ago, there were some spring waters that people felt were magic and had wonderful healing properties. They were so esteemed, in fact, that the Romans built baths around them. After the Romans, the English built the town-turned-city of Bath around those Baths. If you ever get a chance to go to Bath, please check it out! However, feel free to abstain from drinking the bath water; it tastes like sulfur!
Oh boy, don’t even get me started on Stonehenge. I can’t explain it. I have never before been in a place that felt so old and so, dare I say it, magic. I couldn’t take my eyes off the Stones and I sat there in the grass for hours. I would have stayed all day if security had let me. Interestingly enough, there is also a Stonehenge gift shop where you can get Stonehenge EVERYTHING.
The University of Sussex is just outside of the beach city of Brighton. Brighton has all kinds of cool things going on from music and mods to fashion and food. It also is home to Brighton Pier, which is pretty famous. We had to give it a go. Here is a picture of me and my pal Corey after taking a ride on the log flume. I’ll have you know there was a rather bold seagull resting in our path until the last possible second. The looks you see on our faces are pure relief.
So there was a little taste of my trip to England. I’ll send you off with this admittedly basic picture of me with a telephone box; it had to happen. I would love to and probably will write more articles about my trip and toss more photos in your face. For now, thanks for reading and I encourage you to take any chance available to study or travel abroad. If you have traveled abroad, comment which country below!
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