A Chance Encounter with.. Colorful Street Corners
It is hard to believe how quickly routines start to set in. This bustling exciting London life seems normal. It is almost as if I've been doing it for years, when it has actually just been a bit over two weeks! It truly almost seems normal...
Of course, there is always the fact that I am on an entirely different continent and 6 hours ahead of most the people I know.. that will always be hard to get used to. (Sorry to my poor parents who I have sent a few texts to in the middle of their night.. love you!)
This week has been full of exciting memories, but it has also been long. I’m certainly lacking in sleep. The thing about studying abroad is that you actually have to study? Weird, right? I thought so too.
We started out the week in Shoreditch. This is a cool area of town with a weekend market. There are who knows how many food vendors cooking up the most fantastic smelling things. We were in the area to head to Cereal Killer Café, but we may have stopped for a wonton appetizer on the way…. If you’re reading this, you know me and my love of cereal. I made it approximately 5 days before my cravings for my American cereals were just too real. Luckily for me, two brothers started a café where I could go get my fix. There are shelves upon shelves of options of cereals that you can choose from (I couldn’t choose just one.. or even two. I got three) and toppings like candy, lucky charm marshmallows, and cookie dough bites.
Essentially, this place was my heaven on earth.
I finally decided on a bowl with Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon French Toast, and Cinnabon Cereal with cinnamon bun cookie dough balls. It was a great choice. Later that night, we got to visit with one of our friends from Samford who was here studying for “JanTerm” (a short semester between the fall and spring terms.) We went to one of the thousand Nando’s in London, and it lived up to the hype. I’m sure we will be back several times in the next three months or so.
On Monday, I started work on my internship. I’m interning at Beauty and the Dirt. So far, it’s been a great experience! I love that I am able to write articles on all sorts of various topics, interact with the editing process, and see the behind the scenes of what it takes to run a website.
On Tuesday, I started two of my classes. I am lucky enough to be taking classes that apply to my major while I am here, and they have been great as well. Between classes, I went to Covent Garden to explore. We found this cute little corner that had so much character, so we had a spontaneous photo shoot.
When in London, am I right??
On Wednesday, I worked for most of the day. I love that I get to blend in with the Londoners who are also on their way to work as we listen to music on our tube ride. They also hand out newspapers to read on the way to and from work. I typically read a book, which I love. I really don’t think I will mind if I never drive a car again…
But I’m sure I won’t think that way when I get back home.
Thursday was full of classes and work, but to treat ourselves, Katie and I went on the hunt for dessert. We really had no idea what we wanted, so we explored a London neighborhood until we came to Gelupo’s gelato. It was super cute and delicious. Just the treat we wanted.
This random exploring has become one of our favorite things. We often will get off at a new tube stop with the hopes of exploring different neighborhoods. The more time I spend wandering around the city, the more I fall in love with it. Its truly all about those chance encounters, if you know what I mean..
On Friday, I finally went to see Buckingham Palace. She didn’t invite us in.. (rude, right??) but I took several obligatory pictures and felt like a true tourist again.
We ended the night at the Lumiere festival, and it was fantastic. The lights were super beautiful, and we went on a scavenger hunt to earn free cotton candy!
(My love language, for sure)
We woke up early to head to Stonehenge and Bath on Saturday. We caught up on sleep on our bus ride and got to enjoy the historic sight. If you ask me, it was totally made by aliens.
In all seriousness, it is an incredible thing to see your history books come to life. I love that when I see pictures of all the beautiful places I have gone in the future, I will be reminded of all the memories I made.
Next, we hopped back on the bus to Bath. I was expecting a fairly small town, but I was pleasantly surprised when we drove into a city.
We drove through to see the various parts of the city before getting off to explore. It was lunchtime, so we stopped for pizza at the Real Italian Pizza Co. and WOW. It was delicious. 5 stars. For sure.
fter lunch, we went to explore the markets in the city. We were all thankful that CAPA encouraged the trip so highly, since we didn’t think we would’ve gone otherwise. Of course, I saw an Anthropologie and had to stop.
Surprise, Surprise, am I right? They are just as wonderful here as they are back home.
Next, we went to see the Roman Baths that give Bath its name. They were beautiful and interesting. The history is so rich here, and it is cool to be surrounded by things so old. That is certainly something that sets this city apart from my world back home. It’s been great settling into a routine, and I fall more and more in love with this city every day.
Also, they told us it was good for us to drink the purified version of this water. If I die, blame it on Bath. Kidding, I feel just fine.
I love knowing that you all are following along with me while I am here. It makes the 6 hour time difference much more bearable. Don’t be mistaken, I still miss you all terribly, and we would appreciate all the prayers you can give for us throughout our adventure.
Lots of love,
Shelly
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