Author: Jaime Schmotzer

Jaime’s Post London Reflection

It is hard to believe that we have been back for almost a week! I had a really great time in London and I find myself slowly comparing and contrasting things in London with things here in the United States. I found the roads in the city to be slightly confusing at first, but I was able to navigate them a little better each day. Also, I think all of the mapping activities that we did before the trip were really helpful in learning the layout of the city and where the important buildings are located. One of my favorite parts of the trip was riding the tube and I definitely miss that here in Columbus.

I went on this trip to London because I wanted to experience the culture, as well as observe their methods of sustainability and historic preservation and I think I was successfully able to do all of those things. I find the amount of focus placed on St Paul’s Cathedral to be really interesting and I think it is unusual for a city to appreciate and showcase its history as much as London does. I think it is also intriguing that the city is able to incorporate sustainable ideas into everyday life. The visit to the Olympic Village helped to show that the city really considers longevity throughout its projects and is continually adapting the projects to suit the needs of the city. Even though we had the opportunity to see and do so much on this trip, there is still a lot left to explore and I hope one day I can visit the city again!

Jaime’s Day Eight

For our free day, Taylor, Rachel, Keith, and I went to Canterbury and Dover. We rode a high speed train to get out to these locations and it was a really fun and unique experience! Unfortunately the weather here was cold, windy, and snowy today, which made it unpleasant to walk outside. However, it made for a really beautiful train ride! We stopped first in Canterbury and were hoping to get a free view of the cathedral, but unlike other cathedrals, it was very private and hidden behind shops and walls which meant there were very few good views of the structure. The views that we could see were covered in scaffolding due to restorations. Next we went to the White Cliffs of Dover. It was incredibly cold and snowy here and the view of the cliffs was very limited but it was still a unique experience! We also planned to go to the Dover castle, but it was closed due to high winds that limit the safety of people within the castle. Overall it was a fun trip with a lot of unique events, but it might have been more successful if we had gone on a day with better weather!

Cliffs of Dover

Jaime’s Day Three

On day three after we left the Olympic village, Taylor , Rachel, and I went to Hackney Empire theatre to see a modern rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We rode the London overground to Hackney Central and ate at a Costa cafe before the show. The theatre was built in 1901 and was really beautiful! I included a picture of part of the theatre below. I was slightly skeptical when I heard that the play was a modern version, however it was really well done! The cast was really talented and I like that they kept the original Shakespeare script within the modern production. Another feature of the play that I really enjoyed, is that the actors interacted with the audience by incorporating the aisles and levels of the theatre within the performance. I think seeing this play in person really helped me to understand the plot more and I am really glad that we went!

Hackney Empire Theatre

Jaime’s Day Two

I think our big walking tour was really helpful in getting me oriented within the city and I feel like I have a better grasp of where things are located, which will be beneficial in the future! I was also really looking forward to riding the tube and I am so happy we got to do that today too! I think the most impactful events from today were walking across Tower bridge and seeing the Princess Diana Memorial in Hyde Park. Tower bridge is such an iconic part of London and it was just really exciting to get to see it up close, let alone walk across it. I also really enjoyed Hyde Park and thought it was really beautiful. The memorial was probably my favorite part of the day just because it was so serene. I thought the movements of the water were really captivating and the sounds of the water were relaxing. I think the memorial is a really great tribute to Princess Diana and I am glad we were able to visit it with the water running!

Tower Bridge

Princess Diana Memorial

Jaime’s Day One

I think my favorite place that we went on day one was St Paul’s cathedral. I have been in several large cathedrals in France, but St Paul’s was definitely my favorite. I think the white walls and the gold accents made the cathedral very bright and welcoming and just the huge scale of the structure was really amazing. The picture that I have included was from the top of the golden gallery. The view was incredible, but the see-through stairs on the way up were a little scary to walk on! One thing that I found to be really interesting is that even though the cathedral is a prominent religious building, to me, the priests seemed to be out of place. It felt like another tourist destination rather than a major religious structure. I am really glad we had the opportunity to go in St Paul’s and especially to the top and I wish we were allowed to take pictures, so I could remember all the details in the future!

View from Golden gallery of St Paul’s Cathedral

Jaime’s Pre-Departure Post

This past week has been filled with papers and midterms and I have barely had any time to think about this trip to London. Now that I am finally finished with my assignments and am really taking the time to contemplate this trip, I am both nervous and excited! I am slightly stressed for the hassle of the airport and flights tomorrow, but I know that once we get to London it will all be worth it! I am also a little anxious about packing because I still have so much left to do and the flight leaves in less than ten hours! I am used to traveling with my parents and family, so I am interested to see what it will be like without them.

I have wanted to travel to London for a long time and it is hard to believe that this trip is already here! I have studied the buildings and structures that we will see in multiple classes and I cannot wait to see them in person. I am also really excited to ride the tube and to experience the culture within London, including the food and our group tea! The more I think about the trip, the more excited I become! Hopefully everyone has a great time!

Jaime’s Bio

Hello! My name is Jaime Schmotzer and I am a second year student majoring in City and Regional Planning with a minor in Architecture. I was born and raised in Canton, Ohio and recently moved to Akron, Ohio this past summer. Some of my hobbies include reading, baking, knitting, and watching movies.

I have been to multiple cities across the country and really enjoy traveling, but I had the opportunity to go to France when I was in high school and that trip really inspired me to travel more outside of the country. I have been interested in British culture especially, and I think this class will be a great way to not only study this culture, but also get to experience it first-hand. I chose this trip specifically because I am interested in history and historic preservation, as well as sustainability and I think London is a city that combines both of those ideas very successfully.

I am most excited to see St. Paul’s Cathedral because I have learned about it in some of my classes and I find it really fulfilling to see what I have studied in class. I am also excited to see Stonehenge just because it is so famous and unusual.

A picture I took of the Eiffel Tower in France