Submitted by Caitlin Stewart on the 2024 Winter THEA program in London, England…
We started this week off with a group trip to the Natural History Museum, tracking the timeline of human evolution and the solar system and imagining what it would be like to run from dinosaurs (terrifying and a rather short-term issue, as you’d likely be stomped on within a matter of minutes). Afterwards, we split off, a couple of us continuing to roam the history museum for a bit longer as others ventured to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Another museum we hit this week was the Wallace Collection as a class with our professor. Admiring the expansive collection and thinking of how they must’ve been living in the same house we were in right then was a unique and wonderful experience.
In terms of shows, we saw Rock n’ Roll, a Tom Stoppard play chronicling two men’s conflicting journeys with communism through the ‘60s and ‘80s. I loved both of these productions, enjoyed the stories and thought that they were well done.
In between, we journeyed to Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane for some good old fashioned shopping. Once the long weekend arrived a small group of us went to Barcelona and basked in the sunshine, beautiful Spanish architecture, and incredible food– paella and patatas bravas were two of my favorites. Interacting with a different myriad of cultures and languages in a different country broadened my view and adaptability in having to get used to another city and its way of life quickly while still maintaining respect and independence. Sitting in a pierside restaurant and watching the employees cheer and groan as the Manchester City football game raged on on TV, eating croissants and tapas and people-watching outside, observing how everyone seems to walk around, sit, admire the environment and people around them, was an immeasurably valuable experience, and quite different compared to what we’re used to in America. Barcelona was beautiful, but it was nice to return to the chilliness but warm familiarity of London, having enjoyed the nicer weather but ready to get back to our program.
