Today was beautiful in London. We are blessed with warm weather in the 50s, which felt amazing after a bit of a cold spell. I had one class this morning at 9 am, but afterwards my day opened up for exploring.
I decided to go to Westminster Abbey with Tianni because seeing new parts of London always invigorates me. I like to take full advantage of every place I am living and see as much as I can see while I am there.
I will say that the tickets for Westminster are quite pricey: 17 pounds with a student discount, especially for what is included. Things like walking up to the second floor of the abbey and seeing specific additional rooms cost extra, so I was slightly disappointed in that regard. I had previously visited St. Paul’s Cathedral and paid a 20 pound admission price for an all included tour of all the levels of the cathedral, so my expectations were high following that experience.
However, I will say that the beauty of the abbey is certainly worth the trip. You are given an audio guide to listen to while you wander the interior. My favorite area was Poet’s Corner: a section that paid homage to prolific poets who have passed and are buried at Westminster.
The architecture and stained glass took my breath away. There is something so special about historical places that have existed for hundreds of years and stand as witness to the passage of time. Below are some photos from Westminster (majority from its exterior, since photographs are mostly restricted inside).
As a bit of a life update: I’ve been feeling kind of anxious lately; abroad can do that to you. But, I am very grateful for the people in my life that have been so consistently supportive and reassuring.
My classes are going well thus far and I find them interesting on the whole, especially my First World War literature module. I’ve been cooking for myself a lot more lately to save money for trips and get in a routine of being self sufficient. I have recently joined the culture magazine at King’s called: Strand Magazine and will be writing some reviews of art exhibits for them, so stay tuned for links to those.
I am also in the process of planning several trips. I’m going to Paris around valentines to see some of my close friends from school 🙂 for reading week, I am going to Madrid with my friend Maddie and possibly following that trip up with a weekend trip to Switzerland. My best friend since kindergarten is visiting in a few weeks and my boyfriend is coming in March. Finally, my family will be spending their April break here with me.
Some places on my list for travel include: Italy, Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam, Ireland, Berlin, Greece and Lisbon, Portugal.
I am so incredibly thankful for this opportunity to see another part of the world and expose myself to a new way of life. I am excited to continue to make the most of my time overseas!
The Bucketlister 