Author: Makayla Davis

Makayla’s Post-Travel Evaluation

I can genuinely say that traveling to London was the highlight of my freshman year of college. A year ago, I would have never guessed that I would be able to travel internationally, and I am incredibly grateful for this experience. This study abroad has opened up a world of possibilities for me, and I aim to travel back to London and experience many more countries in the future.

On my first international flight, reality finally hit me, and it became surreal that I was so far away from the United States. It produced anxiety and excitement within me, but I am glad that I could finally kick-start a future where I aim to travel far. Upon arriving in London, I found it somewhat difficult to navigate throughout the city by bus and tube, but after a few days I had become very well acclimated the new environment. My favorite aspect of being immersed in London’s culture was the diversity among the city’s people. It was fantastic to experience life outside of the United States and directly feel and witness how London breeds such an accepting aura to people of all colors and from all parts of the world.

I loved experiencing the city and the bustling fast paced atmosphere associated with London, but my favorite part of the trip was visiting the landscapes. Stourhead and Kew Gardens were my favorites sites because they posed such a stark contrast to London. The diversity of plant life offered at Kew was incredible to see, despite not everything being in bloom yet, and it was surreal to stroll through a picturesque landscape and sketch what Stourhead had to offer. I was very captivated by London’s great architecture and how well it blends contemporary and historical architecture. Some of my favorite details to spot were how vegetation was incorporated into pockets of architecture. I occasionally found buildings lining busy streets where one building facade would be completely covered in vine and ivy, adding a dramatic pop of life to the architecture.

I am incredibly thankful that I had the chance to receive such an amazing travel opportunity. I explored and experienced everything that I wanted to see in London, but in the future, I would love to return and expand my knowledge and experiences within the city. I am grateful to have been around so many great people on this amazing trip, and I hope to travel much more in the future!

Makayla’s Day 7

My free day was a great experience because I chose to relax and enjoy London at a much slower pace. Originally, I had planned on making a day trip out to Oxford, but I found that there are so many more things that I wanted to do in the city. London has so much to offer, and I could not miss the opportunity to hit all of my interest points.

I slept in later than normal, allowing myself to relax and remain comfortable, and then some friends and I went shopping around Soho. I had two goals in mind: find souvenirs for my parents and find record should for myself. After a bit of traveling through a snowy London, I found three wonderful record stores. Phonica and Sister Ray were my favorites, but each shop had a beautifully distinct ambiance that I loved. With extensive collections of music from the past 60 years, I looked through every CD collection and found some amazing deals. I purchased five different albums (The Cure, Beach House, The Smiths, etc.) that I love for andy around £15. It was an fantastic deal. We also did some thrift shopping and searching, but with very little success. The resale clothing stores had amazing finds, but the prices were astronomical unfortunately.

After finding no souvenirs in Soho, I decided to go to Camden Market in search of some. It was so cool to be in such a busy area with such unique shops, but the cold snow and masses of people made the small spaces overwhelming. The specially run clothing, jewelry, and food shops were extremely captivating, but I still could not find any gifts for my parents to enjoy. After a few hours of exploring this amazing market, we decided to come back the hotel area and shop at Primark. This store, because of its reasonable prices and unique clothing selection, has become my favorite shop in London. I finally found some great souvenirs there!

Day 7 was great because I got to travel and explore at my own pace and move comfortably despite a very cold day. It was so sad to prepare to leave this city, but I am glad to say that I maximized my experience while I was here. London has been a fabulous experience, and I would absolutely love to travel back here again soon!

Makayla’s Day 6

Friday was definitely one of my favorite days of the trip so far. By this time, I finally had a solid understanding of London’s underground system and what opportunities were in each district.

I was extremely excited to start the day by finally touring Westminster Abbey. Even though the outer area of the cloisters was in construction, I was still able to appreciate the history and beauty of this building. Duncan, one of the Blue Badge tour guides, truly helped me to understand the significance of the abbey and house it’s history continues to be relevant. It was amazing to see the effigies and burial sites of so many famous British rulers who died so long ago. I was most impressed by Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary. I loved that I could visualize and connect the information that I have spent so much time learning about. I have studied much of European history and having this background knowledge made Westminster Abbey a fantastic experience.

After the abbey tour, I was glad to have free time explore a museum of my choice and enjoy the city more independently. Dan and I decided to head to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see some of their unique exhibits. We strolled through at a comfortable pace, absorbing and studying some amazing historical treasures from around the world. There was even a small architecture exhibit with lots of models and diagrams that were fun to analyze. By far, I think that my favorite part of the museum was the fashion exhibit. It was so cool to see deaign’s evolution in the fashion industry, especially among Balenciaga. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the entire museum, but I still had a fantastic experience. London museums have so much to offer, and they never fail to disappoint!

Westminster Cathedral

Makayla’s Day 4

We woke up extremely early to catch the bus, but it was well worth it. Heading to Stonehenge was an absolutely fantastic experience. It was incredibly surreal to see and experience such a monumental site that has survived through so much history. I find it crazy that a massive formation of rocks can be so mystifying and confusing to humans. After Stonehenge, we had some major traveling mishaps, but I did not mind since we still got to enjoy our full stay at Stourhead. This was the most exciting part of the day for me. As a Landscape Architecture major, I find it fascinating that this entire landscape was designed and constructed after a painting and to convey the story of Virgil’s Aeneid. The garden was massive and so well designed that each of its features encapsulated my attention. I loved to see the beautiful swans and ducks and how they interacted with the beautiful vegetation existent in the park. I also thoroughly enjoyed the follies and how I could see replicas of unique buildings I have not been to. The grotto was my favorite part though. I loved the darkness of the feature and how the water made it into its own room within nature. Stourhead was my favorite destination of the day, but I also thoroughly enjoyed Salisbury. It was fascinating to see such a massive cathedral with a great historical presence and witness how it has withstood over such a long time. The town of Salisbury was also very quaint and cute to stroll through and enjoy. Overall, I really enjoy the day and how the trip provided a sharp contrast to the fast paced London life and honed in the history present outside of the city.

Stonehenge

Grotto at Stourhead

Makayla’s Day 1 Sketches

After a long day of traveling, I had a wonderful first day in country. I enjoyed wandering, getting lost, and experiencing the culture that London offers. I also enjoyed seeing Barbican. It was really unique to see this space that so greatly contrast the area around it. I was very surprised to see how the designers approached Brutalism. I like their ability to soften the architectural presence through vegetation and water. I had a great experience there, but my favorite part of the day was traveling to St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a painful and tiring experience to climb to the top of the dome, but it was worth every second. I loved that view of London. I also greatly enjoyed just sitting down and sketching in the space. Dan and I accidentally spent an hour on just one sketch, but it turned out fantastic. I used pens to draw an angled view of the church’s nave. I tried to not put too much ink on the page, but I could not stop my obsession with details to show through. After spending way too much time on this sketch, I made second pencil sketch of a window and wall with angels guarding a door. I really like this sketch, and how I used lighter strokes to expose the forms of the angels and the architecture around them.

Pen sketch in St. Paul’s Cathedral

Pencil sketch in St. Paul’s Cathedral

Makayla’s Pre-Departure Post

It’s 2 AM, and I am extremely nervous to be traveling so soon! I have been waiting for this day for so long, and now it’s finally time to go to London!

I just finished packing (and unpacking and packing again) after 3 hours. I have a tendency to bring too many things when I am traveling, so I really hope that my luggage isn’t too heavy. I tried to condense everything in an organized manner and only take essentials. Honestly, it was nearly impossible to figure out what is essential and what is not.

I have had an extremely stressful week trying to prepare for this trip and keep up with my classes. I had to do a lot of Amazon shopping in preparation for this trip, and I have been so busy that I barely had time to study this week. I had to pull a few late nights (like right now), but it will all be worth it in the end.  I definitely will not be getting any sleep within the next few hours either, but I don’t mind.

Honestly, I am extremely nervous to fly. I have been on a plane before, but never outside of the US. There is so much to keep track of in the airport that it is starting to stress me out a bit. I’m more nervous for managing the airport rather than the actual flight itself. I’m just glad that we are traveling in a large group though. Being surrounded by people that I know will make this process much easier.

I know that everything will run smoothly for the trip. I am exceedingly excited for the next 9 days, and I can’t wait to have an amazing trip!

Makayla Davis’ Bio

Hello, everyone! My name is Makayla Davis and I’m a freshman studying Landscape Architecture with a minor in African and African American Studies. My hobbies include ballroom dancing, drawing, drumming, and concert going.

My hometown is Amherst, Ohio, a very small town that I have lived in for my entire life. When I was younger, I was always tired of being stuck there, so it has been great living in Columbus for the past few months. The only traveling I have done outside of the U.S. was to Toronto (on the summer 2017 Servitecture trip). I can’t wait to expand my horizons even more and travel to London.

I am extremely excited for this class, and I cannot wait to learn even more about London’s architecture and landscape. I’m not the best at sketching architecture, so I’m glad that this class will help me learn how to sketch better and faster.

I am most excited to travel to London and experience a culture that I’ve studied for so many years. I’m so glad to be immersed in such a diverse global culture, studying subjects that I love. I can’t wait to travel with you all!

A senior photo