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| Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London (right near where I live!). Ink. |
Somehow
– I’m down to one week left in England :O Where has the time gone?? These last
few weeks have been a frenzy of exploring London – and I do finally feel like I
know the city. I’ve seen so many museums (and reseen them again and again
because they’re free) and walked around so many different parts of the city. I
think I’ve identified my city exploration style: choose a landmark and spend an
hour walking to it and several more hours walking around it. I try to avoid the
Tube as much as possible because while it gets you from A to B, you totally
lose the experience of seeing the city. The single best way to experience it is
to walk and walk and walk – and if you’re lucky, to find a friend who loves to
walk as much as you (shoutout to Pola for our 3.5 hour trek from St. Paul’s to
Notting Hill)!
My
favorite parts of London: Notting Hill (definitely not unbiased assessment, but
seriously such a fun and charming place), Knightsbridge (extremely classy and
glamorous area, home to Harrods), Marylebone (it has the soul of old London, in
my opinion), Soho (the epicenter of nightlife), Westminster (particularly on
the Thames – Trafalgar, Parliament and the Big Ben are awesome), Southwark
(home to Shakespeare’s Globe), and Mayfair (just generally a very pleasant
place to find classy cafés). If you visit London, see the tourist sites and
whatever, but if you really want to know the city, spend a few hours wandering
around each of these areas. And if you’re tired, stop at a pub and order Pimms
and you’ll pretty much be a Londoner already.
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| Oxford, England, UK! View from Church of St. Mary the Virgin. |
Oxford
(since I alluded last time that I was going) was great! I had an awesome day of
exploring with the fantastic Rachel Xuereb, and we found the most random but
incredible café tucked into the town and tried a pistachio cake with rose
frosting (an experience, let me just say). Oxford is a nice town – sizeable
enough that it would take a few days to truly appreciate, but small enough that
you can feel like you know the city alright in just one day. We took a few
wrong turns in searching for the Thames and ended up walking an extra seven or
eight kilometers to find our way back, but it meant we got the “less touristy”
perspective of the town and I think I know what it actually feels like to be in
an English town – it was a relief to be away from the crazy tourists (I have a
real problem with them :P ). It was a cool experience and I’m so excited for my
friends who will be studying there this fall (shoutout to Ryan and Scott!).
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| Centrum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. |
Amsterdam
was brilliant – I said for days after I went that it’s the Venice of the North
before I learned that it actually is indeed called that colloquially (by people
other than me), so score for being a hipster and doing it before it was cool
(or rather, thinking I was and then realizing I was a few decades behind the
times :P ). I’d heard about the canals from people, but I was in no way prepared
for how many of them there were and exactly how beautiful they are. It’s a
really remarkable place and I spent lots of time walking around there –
definitely a must-see in Europe, and one of those places that is 100% on its
nightlife, so basically go there when you’re a twentysomething, it’s our kind
of city. And of course I got to see my lovely grandparents there which was great.
The only downside: the omnipresent odor of weed, which I know you might say I
should expect, being from Colorado, but I’d thought I’d finally escaped it. Surprisingly,
getting around was no issue at all – Dutch is a Germanic language so it’s not
impossible to follow, especially if you practice and get some basic words
beforehand, and then everyone, everyone
speaks English (and most of them, remarkably well). So of the places I’ve been,
this language I knew the worst, and I got around the best. Life is bizarre
sometimes.
Other
than my traveling (because at this point I count London as staying home), I’ve
really had a wonderful time hanging out with friends. It’s truly hard to watch
these friends I’ve made leave, but we did have fantastic times (and if our
plans succeed, we still will later in the fall!!). It was very tough to say
goodbye to my oldest friends from Pembridge (particularly Jas, hopefully I’ll
see you in New Zealand???), because it truly makes me realize how much times
have changed. So, I think what I’ll do to express myself is what I’m best at
(at least, on this blog) and give yet another list of the crazies stories and things
I’ve done! I hope you’re not bored of these yet, there will be many, many more
to come :)
1.
Pimms O’Clock at Notting Hill,
Pembridge Hall style! We bought and concocted our own Pimms which was a
wonderful experience (despite not being able to skillfully cut fruit – though
granted, the only knife we had was designed for fish-butchering). 10/10 would
try again, such a fun series of nights.
2.
Seeing a BBC Prom
at Royal Albert Hall
– shoutout to Thanat convincing me! We saw a Gershwin performance, and this
marvelous world-class show cost only six quid but we had to sacrifice vascular
circulation because the only tickets that cheap were standing-only (this
concert was two hours long). But worth it, all the way!
3.
Sky Garden (and its
spectacular views of London) for Pola’s 20th birthday with Mathieu,
Alberto, and Gianmarco! Such an amazing way to part from everyone before
Amsterdam and I’m so glad I finally was able to see it with such wonderful people.
4.
The Tate Modern with Clarisse and
Gianmarco! Some of that art is so unearthly bizarre and incomprehensible but
thank you to Clarisse for countering my artistic deficits with her love of
sculpture – it was a great time :)
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| Riding in Mill Hill, London, UK! |
5.
Seeing Macbeth at
Shakespeare’s Globe
– nothing compares experiencing Shakespeare the way it was meant to be. I had
no idea the Globe was so beautiful. This was also a standing ticket (and only
cost £5 wooooooo) so it was exhausting, but so cool. And, the Porter took the
show with referencing to the London Underground, her own physical disability
(which she overcame super well), and naturally, a good stab at American
politics (in case you’re curious, she’s not exactly a Trump fan).
6.
I RODE A HORSE!!!! You know you have
the coolest PI when she and her husband invite you over for dinner and then not
only bring you to the stables and show you the horse, but let you go riding as
well?? Very awesome time – feeling quite English, drinking tea and riding
horses (God I love the Brits).
7.
Experiencing
garlic ice cream
(believe it) at a fantastic little
restaurant called “Garlic & Shots” (yes, their shots indeed had garlic in
them) with the incredible Catherine Jay, who might just be the only person more
insane than I am in travelling – after all, who else flies six thousand miles for
a weekend in London?!? It was an amazing time hanging out (and of course,
shoutout for being okay with walking so far and doing the not-touristy things
with me), here’s to many more! We also experienced the Notting Hill Carnival
which was the most overwhelming experience I’ve ever had in a crowd – it was a
complete at utter madhouse, enhanced by deafening music, extremely annoying
whistles, the ubiquitous smell of barbecued meat (ew), and so many people you
can’t even breathe. Still though, it was enjoyable, and certainly an experience
that needed to happen, even if I will never again subject myself to it. Luckily
it was followed by hours of chill conversation, tea, and cats, which is the
perfect antidote to that kind of psychotic experience :)
8.
Making Kaisershmarrn (Autrian
scrambled pancakes with applesauce) with Alberto now that we finally have a functional kitchen we can
use! Most definitely completed by Cava and Earl Grey, an epic experience!
9.
Seeing pretty much
every single museum in London (or so it feels) – if anyone ever needs a
museum buddy, I am so down to join. I am most definitely a museum person (so
I’ve realized on this trip), and I’ve really fallen in love with exploring
them. I’ve seen at minimum seventeen museums in their entirety in the last
month alone. I pretty much explore a new one every day. I feel a little
knowledgeable about London history now :) My favorite is still Victoria &
Albert, I think because it was the first London museum where I realized how
much I love European history – I’ve been to the V&A four times, and I’m
hoping for at least once more before I leave Britain.
10.
Successfully memorized
all of the English monarchs from 810 AD to the present (damn straight). It’s
official, I definitely have an addition to memorization – but it makes it so
useful when you see statues and knowing these things has actually helped me in
ways I wouldn’t have ever thought! Besides, it makes me feel at least slightly
British :)
11.
I learned how to
IV people!!
Be terrified, maybe, but it was the very first time I’ve stuck a real needle
into a real person’s arm and drew blood. So cool, and to be honest a little
easier than I thought it would be. Praise residents for being willing to
sacrifice their arms to a nineteen-year-old.
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| ^Am I a doctor yet??? Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London |
I’ve
noticed these entries getting longer and longer (and more infrequent) – I hope
it’s not bothersome to read! There’s just so much to talk about. Before I sign
off, I do want to say something about the semester starting back in Rochester.
It’s the most utterly bizarre feeling to watch all my friends reuniting across
the Atlantic – it feels totally weird to not be a part of it. I came to terms
long ago with what I’m missing in the States and understanding that I’m happier
here than there, but it really cements this feeling of separation I now fully
experience every time I think about people back home. It was one thing when we
were all apart and I was away, it’s another now that they’re together… and I’m still
away. I don’t have an ounce of regret, I’m so happy here. But it would be
untruthful to say that I don’t miss Rochester, and it would be simply incorrect
to say that I don’t feel a little alone (and even abandoned or forgotten) with
all my friends together again. Both it’s the ocean playing tricks on me, and
the paradox of GroupMe and Facebook that you can feel so connected yet so
severed. But I’m content (no – ecstatic) about my life here, and I feel an enormous
excitement (mingled of course with anxiety!) about leaving for Paris next week,
and when all is said and done, it’s just another sensation to which I’ll
habituate, like so many others to which I already have in the last three
months. One thing being abroad teaches you is how to deal with new feelings and how to absorb them without agonizing. I am here, they are
there – and after all, at the end of the day, the only thing I can really do is
wish everyone an incredible year, even if I won’t be able to see it… and so I
do. I hope that all of you back home and at Rochester have the most wonderful
and spectacular year ever, that classes treat you well and that you make
memories you’ll treasure – and I am so, so excited to hear about them when I
return. My only request – write me back when I send letters!
Next
post from Paris!
London,
England, UK; 30 August 2016.
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