I'M GOING TO LONDON! I have been waiting for this opportunity for what feels like my entire life and it's almost here. I'll be leaving for London about a month from now. I'm so chuffed (excited) for the experience! On this blog I plan to document all the places I go, the people I meet, the food I try, the things I see, and the experiences I have.
My trip to London will last for about seven weeks and I'll be traveling with about 35 other students. I'm signed up for three different classes to take while I am there. This is the part I am very excited about! I'll be studying British literature in my class "English Literature in a Cultural Setting" taught by Dr. Nick Mason. The British history/ European studies and London Walks classes I'm taking will taught by Dr. Matt Mason. They're brothers and their families will be in London with us!
During my trip I'll be visiting major sites such as Hyde Park, the Museum of London, Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, the Roman Baths, Cambridge, Preston, the Lake District, the British Library, Tate Britain and Tate Modern museums just to name a few. We will also have experiences to study and travel outside of England. Our group plans to visit Scotland for a couple of days and Paris for three days! I can't think of better additions to the trip than seeing even more of Europe.
While we will be traveling all over the UK, our group will make it a priority to be in London every single Sunday. This is because we each get a calling in a ward in London! This is one of the most unique opportunities we have as a BYU Study Abroad group. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to get to know real Brits, to serve, and to become part of a new ward family while I'm there. I am anticipating this experience probably more than any other.
While in London, we will have lots of time to get to know the city and really experience it. An experience I'm looking forward to is going to London's West End theater district. When I went to New York last summer, seeing the musicals was my favorite part of the trip. I can only imagine how amazing it will be to see the shows on "British Broadway"! As a group we will be seeing Twelfth Night, Les Miserables, and Henry V. Individually, I might see War Horse and I will definitely be going to see Wicked, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Matilda, and Singing in the Rain. Woo hoo! There will be so much to see!
I feel like I say all of these things too casually right now. "Sorry I can't come to your reception, I'll be out of the country... I going to see Henry V at the Globe Theater... I'm going to live a block away from Hyde Park for 7 weeks." Who says things like that?! It still feels like a dream or a movie... "Is this real life?" Although it is currently surreal, I do feel extremely blessed. I feel blessed that the Professors Mason chose me to be part of the group. I feel blessed that my job is willing to work with my schedule while I'm gone. I feel blessed to have a friend and am making friends in the group. I feel especially blessed that my parents have encouraged me to follow this dream and have made sacrifices so that my dream will come true.
My heart is currently full of gratitude, awe, and excitement. This next month can't go by fast enough!
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