On the 13th of June, 2023, I left for the United Kingdom from the United States. I have never traveled to Europe before, so this was quite the opportunity for me. The flight was nothing too exciting, but on the morning of the 14th, we landed in London! After retrieving our bags, we checked into the St. Giles Hotel on Tottenham Court. We were so excited for our adventure to begin.
The very next day, we took the Tube to the River Thames to attend a river cruise. It was a lot of fun, and the captains of the boat were very funny and kept us entertained throughout the entire trip. We also got a chance to ride the London Eye! London itself was an incredibly dense city, so we managed to see a lot of different sights in a short period. We had Oyster Cards at our disposal, so we could ride the Underground Tubes as much as we liked. The Tubes in London were an excellent way to travel from place to place.
We also took a quick excursion to see Stonehenge and the Salisbury Cathedral during our first week. Did you know that the Salisbury Magna Carta is the best preserved out of the surviving four examples? It can be viewed publicly in the Chapter House!
Of course, we also had to visit the infamous British Museum during our time in London. It was very vast and expansive. I could spend a whole week straight in the museum and not even come close to exploring everything. Admission was free, so we went back a couple of times in order to get a more cohesive experience of one of the most impressive museums in the world.
The other Carleton students and I also had a lot of free time of our own to explore the beautiful city of London. We eventually stumbled across the Hippodrome, a massive theater/casino located just a few blocks from our hotel. It was a lot of fun hanging out there. The aura of the Hippodrome was simply electric, charged with tension and excitement, filling the air constantly. After our first visit, most of us were extremely happy that we went. There were both many positive experiences and positive externalities after that night. Amidst the chaos, most of us felt as if we came out as winners in the end.
We also got an opportunity to meet John Winter (‘85), a Carleton Alum that has a house in London. He graciously invited all of us over to have dinner. We all dressed up for the occasion, and the food and drinks did not disappoint!
After some time in London, on Sunday, June 25th, we headed out to Belgium. Brussels was a lot of fun! We got a chance to go inside the European Parliament building. Gavyn and I also decided to check out the Atomium! It was super cool to ride the elevator up to get a view from high up of the city. There was also a small alley in Ghent full of Graffiti! All in all, Belgium was a very quaint country that had very delicious fries, chocolate, and waffles.
After our short time in Belgium, it was time to head to our main destination: Cambridge. We took the train back to the UK, and made our way down south. We soon arrived at Hughes Hall at Cambridge University. We then explored King’s College! It was quite the sight. Surprisingly, it was very different from Carleton’s Campus. I am unsure what I expected. We also went punting! It is so much harder than it looks. However, it was still a lot of fun, albeit the fact that I almost fell in a couple of times.
After some weeks of Industrial Revolution and Multinational classes in Cambridge, we got opportunities to go on excursions. One of them was back to London to check out the Bank of England. The Museum was really cool! We got a chance to beat a trivia game to win a prize! We also went to Manchester to check out the Manchester Science and Industry Museum. I loved how interactive everything was at this museum. While in Manchester, we also stopped by Quarry Bank Mill, and a few of us even checked out some of the English football stadiums there!
Soon enough, we made it to my personal favorite location the entire trip! Edinburgh! It was a sight to behold. The entire city was up on a hill, so you could see every individual piece of architecture no matter what direction you looked. The boundless bodies of water surrounded us, and the colossal castle towered over the entire city, overlooking the people. The streets are filled with entertainment and music. Endless stores along every corner, all of them bustling with activity and filled with unique color. It was so pretty. Photos cannot capture the beauty of this city. You will have to climb up Arthur’s seat yourself.
After Scotland and a quick mid-term break. We were back in Cambridge. We studied hard, attended classes, and read a lot on J.M. Keynes. We got to explore more of the city, and enjoy the local food. We especially enjoyed Nando’s and Wetherspoons. I also found some tennis courts by a river that I frequented. It was a lot of fun hitting with the locals there!
Quick note: For any car fans, we spotted a 1970s Mercedes-Benz 450SLC 2 Door Coupe! Picture included, of course.
As this study abroad concluded, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my experiences. My philosophy is, and always will be, that it isn’t about the destination, but about the company. Bonding with these Carleton students was a choice, and hanging out with each other outside of class was the true experience of this trip. It is a feeling better than getting dealt pocket Aces. I would for sure come back, and do everything all over again on this OCS if I could (350 times to be exact). I loved my time at Cambridge and the many other places that I visited, and I am extremely grateful to have made so many friends along the way. This is an experience that I will never forget. I will cherish these memories forever. Thank you Carleton!
