Against all odds, all 25 of us have arrived safely in London. Hard to believe that was only four days ago. These past couple of days have been jam-packed with scavenger hunts, tours, speakers, and figuring out how to cook. We will all be living in 5-person flats for the next 6 weeks. And without Burton and LDC, we have to find a way to feed ourselves.
Day 1 included a brief introduction to London safety from a local cop and a walking tour. On the walking tour, we hit some of the highlights, including the bank they used as Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Harry Potter and spectacular views of Big Ben.
Day 2 was Scavenger Hunt day. We all met at Bob’s flat, which is only a 10-minute walk from our flats. We traveled together an outdoor food market close to his flat where we could choose from food all around the world. Then we broke off into small groups and embarked on our scavenger hunts.
My group navigated London via Tube, bus, and foot to the Museum of London, Tower Bridge, and Saint Paul’s Cathedral. It was quite the adventure. Afterward, everyone returned to our classroom and swapped hilarious stories about getting lost and interacting with tourists and locals. Everyone quickly discovered that London is not organized in block systems, like most US cities. Thanks to all of our phone GPS systems, no one got seriously lost.
Thus far, there has not been a dull moment. Our legs are tired from all the walking but we’re all looking forward to what the next day will bring.
Until next time,
Maggie Carragher
