Submitted by Rachel Tallant on the 2019 summer session program in England sponsored by the Department of Art & Design…
For me, my favorite part of London, right off the bat, are the houses. Everyone’s home looks right out of a storybook. Every windowsill is adorned with a pot of flowers and a patio chair fit for a quirky little coffee shop. The windows, dressed with white lace curtains, remind me too much of my grandmother’s house and the jig-jagged sidewalks remind me of home, at 13, when I’d stay out till dusk for no reason. I had barely just gotten down the street to our apartment before I decided in my head that I had loved it here. Quickly, my love for London grew fast, like our trips to artists studios and art museums filled me to the brim each day with inspiration.
One of my favorite talks from the first week was Wendy Scott, where she talked about journalism and creative writing. She encouraged us to take a notebook wherever we go and by our bedside table at night– because the thoughts that spring on us out of nowhere are the best and most interesting ones. She also advised us, for just being in London, to try and take things slow. To pace ourselves– write about how we are feeling and the people and things we are seeing from day to day. This has definitely helped me because right away I was so overwhelmed with everything surrounding me at all times– it was all so new! The other thing that blew my mind wasthe Da Vinci exhibit at the British Library- “A Mind in Motion”. The exhibit displayed Da Vinci’s personal notebooks and sketches on how he formed geometry and physics after watching and studying nature in front of him, it was absolutely incredible, to say the least.
Aside from the incredible presentations and the cultural exhibitions we’ve been enriched with almost every single day… my favorite part is living in the flat with my friends. We’ve truly been able to bond as we grocery shop together, decide what kind of pasta would be best and if we should buy multiple tubs of ice cream to invite everyone over.