Week Two: The adventures continue!

So this past week was busy and fun! On Monday we started classes, so we really just had the standard first day of class activities. I think the classes will be pretty fun overall! After class, I went with a couple of friends on one of our London walks. This one was of Whitehall and Seats of Power, so we came out of the tube by Big Ben, and walked along the riverfront and then diverged into the city. On the walk we saw many war memorials, all honoring the fallen from different wars, though many were for WW1 AND WW2. These were really cool to see, as they honored the brave service given by the soldiers throughout the wars. There were other memorials as well, but I think most were for more recent wars. The walk was really pretty, and we ended it by walking past Buckingham Palace! It was really cool to see!

On Tuesday we had our other classes, which I think will also be fun. I am excited overall for the semester, and to be able to see and explore more in the city for my classes. I went with a friend to lunch, and then we wandered around the area and explored the nearby mall. We got gelato, and then came back to the Centre. I had homework to start on, and then kitchen duty. This week was my room’s week to help set up, prepare, and clean up dinner, so that was good overall. It takes about one hour before and after dinner, but it is fun and worth it. Tuesday’s took longer though, because we had to make sack lunches for our day trip Wednesday.

So Wednesday, we went to Runnymede, Windsor Castle, and Stoke Poges churchyard. They were all so cool! Runnymede is where the Magna Carta was stamped 800 years ago. It is an open field that has been preserved as such, which I think is really cool. A lot of the history in London is still there, but a lot has been changed, and to have this area of great significance in the course of human rights remain unchanged is wonderful. They have a memorial there for JFK that sits on American soil (so I was in America and England!) and is very touching, as well as a memorial for the Magna Carta donated by the American Bar Association. All are cool! We then went to Windsor Castle. It was gorgeous! It is a very grand and ornate building, and just beautiful. I loved exploring the grounds, chapel, and the inside! There was also an exhibit there commemorating Queen Elizabeth II as Britain’s longest reigning monarch, which became official on that day, the day we were there! Very cool! Afterwards we went to Stoke Poges, which is where the author Thomas Gray is buried. A good day overall!

Thursday we had more classes, though they were shortened so we could go to Hamlet, starring Benedict Cumberbatch! It was incredible! I have never read the play, but I do not think anything could outdo that performance, because it was amazing! Between the acting, the set, the direction, etc., it was amazing! And we were sitting like 20 feet away from the stage, and Benedict Cumberbatch. No, I did not get his autograph, but he was amazing! And that morning, I went with someone and we read a poem by Wordsworth on Westminster Bridge as the sun came up. It was really powerful, and beautiful as well. It was also cool to see how time has changed the city.

On Friday we had a tour in London of the Inns of Court, which is the legal sector of the area. It was cool to see and explore those areas, and we got to see a church associated with the Free Masons. National Treasure, anyone? ;) After the tour, we walked back to Boroughs Market where we went last week and got lunch, then went back to the Centre. We also stopped in an area with some cute shops, and I got a gift for my future little niece! That evening I was able to get more homework done and just relax a bit, which was nice.

On Saturday, we went to Buckingham Palace! It is absolutely gorgeous! I wish I could describe all these better than using just the same words, but it truly is a stunning place. Everything is so ornate and gorgeous, and it was fun to explore and look around! That afternoon I went and saw the Scorch Trials, the second Maze Runner movie. It was good, and good to have some alone time! It gets a bit crowded at the Centre.

Today we went to our assigned wards for church, and I love mine already! They all seem so nice, and I get to help out with the kids! It should be fun. It takes about an hour to get there by tube and bus, so that adds to the day, but it will be good! And this next week we are going to Liverpool, the Lake District, Bronte country, and Scotland! I am so excited!! This adventure continues to be fun and exciting, and I am looking forward to more as the semester continues!