Now I would love to tell you every minute of every hour of every day, but then this would be a never ending blog post. But to give you an idea of what we did, we did what almost any tourist would do, and that is visit all of the famous tourist sites. The London Eye gave us a preview of what we would be seeing that week. Then of course we had to go see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and the absolutely breathtaking Windsor Castle where the queen was actually walking somewhere throughout the castle while we were. Along the way, we were able to see the famous telephone booths and double-decker buses that some of us only dream of seeing. Finally, what we were really there for, were the two different business institutions. While I was only able to go to Student Upstarts, it was still awesome to see their perspective on how business is conducted in London. A little background on Student Upstarts is that they give student loans to up and coming entrepreneurs. But while we were there, they gave us tips on how their culture is different from the States.
Now the reason I wasn't able to go to Lloyd's, which was our second business visit, was because of messed up schedules. Instead, I went to the Harry Potter tour and all I have to say is wow. In London, our tour guide, British Eric, would point out different sites where Harry Potter was filmed such as Diagon Alley and Millenium Bridge which in case you don't know is in the Half-Blood Prince. And guess what, I stood in the Great Hall. Yes! We opened the golden doors and surprisingly, it's not as big as you would think. Then we walked into what was pretty much a warehouse of everything you could imagine of Harry Potter. Dumbledore's Office, the Gryffindor Commonroom, and the Weasley House.It's all there. Once we walked outside, we saw the chess pieces in the Sorcerer's Stone - the Philosopher's Stone as the English know it - and the flying car. Oh, and if you ever get the chance to try butterbeer, make sure it's cold. If you ever make it to London, make sure that this is on one of your sites to see.
Now if you couldn't tell, I absolutely love London. I love their accents. I know we all wish deep down that we could have one, or at least I do. I spent that week trying to master it. I love their different language. Yes, they speak English, but they use different words than us Americans. For example, do not ask them where the bathroom is, they will stare at you wondering what you are talking about. Instead, you simply ask them where the toilets are. Then, they have give way which means yield and a lift which is another word for an elevator. Finally, I love how the city of London never sleeps. People are always on the move and not in the mood for small talk. Especially in Piccadilly Circus, which is the Times Square of London, there are lights, people, and action everywhere. I love it.
Now the day we had to leave London was definitely a sad day. But I was in no way ready to go home, so I was happy that for some of us, our trip continued. Thursday morning a group of us hopped on a train where we traveled to Paris, France. And again, we were just like any other tourist visiting sites that I only dream of seeing. The Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, the Lovelock Bridge, the Notre Dame Cathedral. All of them are checked off my list. Now I'm going to be honest in saying that Paris was not my favorite spot in the world. Don't get me wrong, there are so many different and wonderful sites to see, but it was definitely a good thing that Paris was only a two day stop.
Well that's it. There is a very short summary of my study abroad spring break trip of 2014. I hope you were able to get some sort of feel of all the wonderful things I was able to see. I would never trade any of it. The friendships, the memories, and the beauty of another part of the world. I hope you all get the chance to travel to London one day, because I know, I'll be going again.
