Living the London Life

Hallo!

It is the beginning of my third week in Germany and SO much amazing, fun, awesome stuff has happened, I just can't wait to tell you everything!!

First things first, AIB is wonderful. The staff is super friendly and willing to help and our classrooms are nice and spacious and perfect for class, studying, and eating ramen (to save money to become European travelers!) Our first week alone we went on two walking tours of the city: one an orientation and the other a historical walking tour. I loved the historical walking tour! Although it was FREEZING and DRIZZLING the whole time, it was great information and the guide sounded like Mary Poppins…Winning. We also went on a tour of Mayschoss, about an hour south of Bonn, which is a huge wine producing area. I love wine, so this was an excursion right up my alley, and it was great. We found out about growing grapes in the area, some of the town history and walked through the vineyard and cellar. After the tour we went into the cellar and had a wine tasting and delicious soup. I enjoyed the experience thoroughly and on the way home I had the opportunity to talk to some of the students from Penn State and meet my new roommate, Kyrie, who is also a student at Penn State. We are staying with the same host family, so it was nice to meet her before I moved in! 

Classes so far haven't been bad for the Biomedical Science kids, but the Biomedical Engineering students have a test coming up this Friday. I am trying to stay ahead while I can so that I will have free weekends to relax and travel! Speaking of Travel...I went to London this weekend...

London. 

I have never been a particularly spontaneous individual when it comes to traveling/money/activities, so I was rather surprised when I heard and felt myself saying yes to going to London on a spur of the moment trip my second weekend in Europe. Let me tell you, be spontaneous. It is terribly amazing (I'm already speaking like a Brit!)

Trafalgar Square

We headed off, by bus, to London on Friday, 24.1.2014. We had to take a train from Bonn to Cologne and then get on our bus for an 11 hour ride detouring through Brussels, Gent, Calais, Dover, and finally making it to London! We pulled into London around 7:30 a.m. and hit the ground running, going to St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London, Notting Hill (for antique shopping!!), King’s Cross Station to relive our Harry Potter fantasies at platform 9 ¾ , Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square before heading to the hostel for the night for some much needed rest. The next morning we headed to Buckingham Palace to take pictures of the Palace and of the guards. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain, so the guards were not around the edges of the gates like they normally would be. We continued down from the palace and saw Westminster Abbey. The architecture was incredible. It was so beautiful and for an architecture nerd like me, it was heavenly. We also went to see Big Ben and Parliament. After, we headed to the Natural History Museum and looked at the exhibits, including the dinosaur exhibit! We split off for lunch with the two guys (Zach and Reid) going to Covent Garden and then to the British Museum while the ladies (Chace, her friend Bethany, and I) went on a river cruise of the Thames complete with traditional English afternoon tea.

Outside St. Paul's Cathedral

My favorite part of the trip had to be going to St. Paul’s Cathedral and climbing to the top part of the dome. I am incredibly afraid of heights and the climb was very difficult for me since the stairs are winding, open iron stairs that don’t leave much to the imagination in terms of how high up you are ascending. I did overcome my fear enough to appreciate the view and it was breathtaking. Being so high up and over the city you realize how peaceful and calm it appears from a bird’s eye view, which is an absolutely different feeling from what you experience when you are in the Tube or walking amongst the numerous people milling about on the ground. It was nice to just stand and appreciate the peace and beauty of such a large place after so much noise and movement on the journey to London and the months before my departure to Germany. I am hoping to have more moments like that, to be alone with my thoughts and appreciate this amazing time in my life, and realize that spontaneity adds so much beauty and wonder to an otherwise mundane existence. I came on this program not spontaneously, but with no real plan as to what I wanted from it, just looking to experience life and appreciate moments. My goal is to look for the little things, the beautiful gate, the stained glass window, the perfect tree that frames the shot, friendship that arises easily after a meal spent in conversation, the moments that make life beautiful and worthwhile. The moments you will remember when you grow old.

View from Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral

London, you were a collection of perfect moments, I will remember you forever.