So this week was the last full week in London! I cannot
believe how quickly this semester has flown by. It has been such an incredible and
amazing experience studying in London! I have had the opportunity to not only
explore London and England, but also other European countries and other
countries that are a part of the United Kingdom. I have learned and grown this
past semester, and I am so grateful for this experience! It has taught me so
much about different cultures, and has inspired me to become more aware of what
is going on in the world. I have loved this adventure, and I know that this is
where I needed to be this semester, and I love that!
On Monday, we went to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s
Birthplace! It was such a fun trip! We got to see the supposed “birth-room”
where he was born, and his grave. We saw the house he lived in, as well as the
house of his wife Anne Hathaway. We were able to explore Stratford, and we got
to see first and third edition folios of Shakespeare’s plays. It was so neat! I
really loved and enjoyed this trip, it was all just so interesting and fascinating!
Seeing original copies of plays like Macbeth and Twelfth Night was just so
cool! That evening we saw Wendy and Peter Pan, and it was such a fun play! It was
cool to see how they brought the story alive, and just how magical of a play it
was!
Tuesday was our last day of classes. It went a little
long to make up for not having Monday classes, but it was fine. I did some
final souvenir shopping that afternoon, and then just tried to relax and study.
Wednesday was our reading day. I spent the majority of
the day studying for my exams and taking mini breaks, so it was a pretty slow
day, albeit stressful and hectic.
Thursday I had two finals: English (my literary
tourism class) and Religion. The finals went well I think, but there was just a
ton of writing to do for both of them, and a lot to remember. I spent the
evening studying for my last two finals, and skyped with my family for a bit as
well!
Friday was the last day of finals. I had English
(literature in the age of revolutions) and history. They both had a lot of
writing also, and by the time I finished history by hand was not happy with me.
But it felt incredibly good to finish finals and have that stress gone! I went
with a friend and found the Peter Pan statue after finishing, and it is so
cute! I did more shopping afterwards and got a sweater and books! There is this
series by Noel Streatfeild called Ballet
Shoes that I read growing up. I had always wanted to read more but they
were out of print in the U.S. so I could not get any. However, I found them
here, and it was so exciting!! That evening, I went with some friends to the
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Carnival. It was cute! I enjoyed looking at all the
lights up and at all the shops in the Christmas market! Afterwards, I got most
everything packed!
Saturday morning I went up the London Eye! It was
incredible! I loved the view!! It was just so neat to go up at the end of the
semester and be able to recognize the different spots in London, and know that I
had walked those streets and visited those buildings. It was just a neat
experience! I relaxed in the afternoon, and then went to Nandos, a small
restaurant for dinner. It was good! I then just relaxed and had fun for the
rest of the evening.
Today was my last Sunday, and church was really good. It
was fun seeing the kids one last time, and they gave me a card! I have loved
the ward I was assigned, and it has been such a great experience! I have loved my
time in London, and it has been one of the most incredible experiences that I have
had. Each day has brought new excitement and surprises, and overall fun. I am
grateful that I have had this opportunity and I love London, but I am excited
to see my family tomorrow!
