Transportation

One Last Time

It has been exactly a week since we left London. I feel like I had a connection to the city and it felt like home when I got there. It did not take long for my body and mind to adapt to local London time, but it took almost a week for me to get back on to Columbus time.
There were so many things that I really like about our trip, but one thing that stood out most is how we were able to walk anywhere or use public transportation system to get anywhere within a short amount of time. This stood out to me because I do not like to even walk across campus at home, but it is quite enjoyable in London. I walked a minimum of 8.5 miles daily during our stay in London. The option to utilize public transporation or walk from place to place has a very good impact our daily lives, and I think that we should start moving toward that lifestyle at home.
My favorite part of the trip was our long walk day across London. This was one of my favorite day because, I love walking around London and see how the scene, landscape, architecture as we move across the city. This was also a memorable day because my feet was in so much pain toward the end of the day because I have never walk that much in a single day, but the pain was totally worth it. I end up walking barefoot around the Princess Diana memorial to numb my feet so I can keep up with the rest of the group. Now looking back, I think I made the right decisions by walking in the cold water in order to see walk much more later that evening.

Prior to the trip, I was hoping to take the EuroStar to Paris for a day to visit some extended family and some old friends. Someone asked about this topic in class before I got to it and we were not allow to leave the country. It was a little dissapointing at first, but I got over it fast. Now that the trip is over, I am so glad that we were not allow to leave England. There are so much to explore within London alone, a trip to France is pushing for too much. I end up visiting Brighton for a few hours to see the Royal Pavillion and the coast of Britain. Then returned to London and contiuning to explore the amazing city. I felt very safe and like I was at home during my time in England, and it was a good feeling to have while abroad.
Overall, I think this trip was very successful for many reasons. First of all, the weather was very nice during our time in London. Secondly, we were able to adapt and quickly learn how to use the tube and other forms of transportation to explore the city. Lastly, and most importantly, everyone in our group was AWESOME! Hope everyone had as much fun as I did, and hope to go on at least one or two more trips with everyone!

 

Saying goodbye to London 10 hours before departure…

Capturing some art work before dinner on the last night

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!

On Transport

Far from simply a shuttle utility, the variety of transportation types utilized throughout the trip have allowed me to experience many aspects of the city in unique ways. The most immediate advantage is a greater understanding of navigation in the city and surrounding areas. Not only did the Underground allow me to quickly move around the area and build a detailed map in my mind, it allowed me to witness the population of London up close in terms of dress, manner, and speed. The boat travel gave an unparalleled experience of the buildings lining the Thames, which could not have been filled into my mental map with the Underground alone. While the double-deck bus was a bit of a novelty for me, overland travel and foot transport provided the micro-scale of city exploration. Similarly, taking the DLR over the Tube lets the rider see the path of travel and all that is along that path.

A trip highlight for me was the bus loop to Stonehenge, Stourhead, and Salisbury. As most of our time was spent in the urban zoneduring the week, the bus let me see the nature of the highways, the countryside, and many small towns in passing. I spotted many models of cars that the United States does not receive and several supercars on the route. Leaving and exiting the city, I enjoyed spotting the buildings on the route that were too far for me to travel to during the trip, including on of Goldfinger’s brutalist towers. The ride back at night was especially enjoyable, as I listened to some of my favorite music from the UK that I felt would pair well with the night bus – and it did not disappoint. Listening to one album in particular was absolutely perfect with the atmosphere of the location, and this will be something I definitely won’t forget.

Lo-Fi: Apparition of Trellick Tower with Partial Relection Self-Portrait

UK Album Selection