Even on the rainiest of days, England has a way of enchanting its visitors. As I write this, I am looking out of my dorm room window at the roof of the home directly opposite my bed, with a chimney pumping out smoke to heat the building. Although the sky is not particularly bright or clear, it seems to be the perfect shade of dove grey with slight patches of baby pink which perfectly complements my neighbor’s home.
Ever since I discovered the concept of “studying abroad” I knew I would one day spend at least a semester somewhere in or outside of London. Now that I am here, my years of expectations have been blown away. I have been greeted by adventure every day since my arrival and I’m only on day seventeen. As a New Yorker, I am fairly used to the tightly packed, mathematic grid that is New York City. Even though its streets are directed in every which way, London makes sense. I have found myself increasingly capable of navigating this city and feeling more and more at home here. Classes have been in session for two weeks now and at this point, my schedule flows naturally. I won’t bore you with descriptions of each of my academic endeavors but I’m feeling compelled to share my appreciation for one class in specific. This course, Museums and Galleries of London, meets twice a week. On Mondays, we learn about particular exhibitions and the history of museums in general. The class meets at a different museum or gallery each Wednesday in which we are either shown around by our professor or told to explore on our own. This class is the perfect opportunity to get to know the city and its treasures and I absolutely recommend that if it is available in your city of choice, each student who studies abroad take a similar class. Sometimes while abroad, students are drawn to shopping and traveling outside of their school’s city. However, having visits to artistic exhibitions fit into a student’s schedule is the best way to appreciate their city and what it has to offer. Plus, a tip for anyone planning to be in London, the public museums are free to visit!
Anyway, its Thursday as I write this, which happens to be the first day of my weekend. I know, I feel pretty lucky to only have classes until Wednesday. I should wrap this up as I still have a lot of packing and preparations before I fly to Paris tomorrow morning. This is my first trip of what I expect to be many, but I know I won’t neglect London and the rest of the UK while I’m here. Each day brings something new and I look forward to updating you all on my time here.
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