This past few days have been an absolute whirlwind, to say the least. On the morning of July 2nd, my parents drove up to Bellingham to pick me up. I had spent the days before that frantically pacing throughout my apartment making sure I hadn't forgotten anything while packing. From Bellingham, we continued up to Vancouver where I would be flying out of. Once at the airport, I was able to finally grasp the idea that I was going abroad to study in London. This trip had been a dream for so long, so for it to become reality was exciting. I spent my time at the airport trying to calm my nerves and get my carry-ons situated.
The flight from Vancouver to Calgary was a breeze. I slept most of the two-hour trip and before trying to figure out how to kill the three hour layover I had in Calgary. I ended up sitting at a bagel place and checked social media as well as went over all my travel paperwork. I wanted to make sure that once I arrived at Heathrow, I knew exactly where to go. The flight from Calgary was slightly less enjoyable than the one from Vancouver. Thankfully, I had a small screen that provided me with hours of movies and television, as well as a surprisingly delicious meal the passengers were served. The only problem was that I could not get comfortable enough in my aisle seat to get a decent amount of sleep. I probably used my neck pillow five times in numerous different sleeping positions and just couldn't fall asleep. By the time we landed in London, I think I probably slept three hours of the 13 hours I had been traveling.
Because of excessive air traffic, my flight was about thirty minutes late to the terminal. This was when I started to slightly panic. I had to meet an Academic Programs International representative at 11:30 at Terminal 5 and I was in Terminal 2. So, in an hour and half I had to make it through customs, grab my checked suitcase (that I was worried was going to get lost because I had taken a connecting flight), and figure out how to get to another terminal in an airport I was unfamiliar with. Somehow, I managed to keep my cool and that was most likely due to the fact that the line at customs went fairly quickly. I gave the official my proper paperwork and received my Short Term Student Visa stamp in my passport. I then walked the few yards to baggage claim where I saw my suitcase traveling around the conveyer belt. I actually ran towards it because I was so happy to see it! Heathrow Airport had plenty of signage and I was able to figure out that the Heathrow Express would take me to the other terminals. An airport official kindly pointed me in that direction and I was able to quickly catch the next train, getting me to Terminal 5 with a little over five minutes to spare. I met the API representative Nadia there as well as other students participating in the same program as me, many arriving to the terminal shortly after I did. After a while of waiting for our bus, our group left Heathrow and started our journey to London.
I am currently living in a flat on a street full of other API students. I live on the same floor as two other girls and four girls live on the floor above us, the stairs to their flat beginning in ours.
My first few days here in London were spent mainly with other students studying through API. On our very first day, we had an initial orientation and received some helpful paperwork, such as maps and our Oyster card, which would allow us to ride the Tube. Later that night, a couple girls and I grabbed food from a nearby Pret a Manger and took it to the park right by our flats. Everybody was so tired and I ended up crashing around 9:30. The next day, we had a little more orientation information to go over before heading to the Tower of London. We all received maps and were set free. We traveled around the grounds, exploring different towers and checking out artifacts. After that, a group of us went to a nearby inn to grab a few drinks and get to know each other. Later that night, a group of us went out to check out the London nightlife and I was not disappointed! Yesterday, us API students took a rainy walking tour around London, riding the Tube to different landmarks. We saw Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Piccadilly Circus. It was nice to also be with our other API representative Lucy because she grew up in England and I spent some time talking to her about British actors and shows that I enjoyed. We finished out our time grabbing lunch in a local tavern.
As well as participating in events with API, I was able to begin my social program with the University of Westminster. Yesterday was our first event at the London Eye. I'm not the biggest fan of heights but I couldn't pass up the experience of seeing the city from a new point of view. A couple was getting married in a pod a few down from us so that was pretty cool. As the wheel took us around, all of us mingled and tried to get to know each other, while also taking in the most amazing view of London. From there, we took a walking tour around parts of London I had yet to see and it's safe to say my feet were absolutely killing me at this point. I swear, I've walked so much that I'm surprised the soles of my shoes haven't worn out yet. But we finished our day at a pub where we enjoyed a complimentary drink before my flatmates and I rode the Tube successfully back to our place. That was quite the accomplishment for us.
Today was my first day of class at the University of Westminster. A small group of us were taken to our orientation at 10:00 this morning where we were given the typical run down. Safety tips, transportation help, university log-in assistance, all that good stuff. We were then taken to a lunch before splitting up into our class groups. My module (class) is called London: Culture Capital of the World and is on the fifth floor of the Westminster Regent Street building, so more walking for me. My professor was a journalist and has a lot of knowledge about London culture. During my time here, we'll be learning about many aspects of London culture, such as music, film, art, and design, while being able to go on excursions to galleries and the theatre. I'm greatly looking forward to what
I can learn from this class.
I have many more events through API and Westminster coming up soon and I can't wait for them. Already I've met some really great people and I can't wait to see what more London has to offer!
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