Submitted by Natalie Hett on the 2019 summer session program in England sponsored by the Department of Art & Design…
Prior to coming to London, I had spoken to so many past students of this abroad program who had nothing but positive things to say, but somehow, week one still managed to exceed my
expectations! I was lucky enough to have escaped the jet-lag that all of my friends had been feeling because I was in Paris leading up to the program. It was also really nice that there was no
language barrier and it definitely made adjusting a lot smoother.
I found it a bit confusing to find my way around at the beginning of the first week, as was expected. I am definitely directionally challenged when it comes to a new place but Google
Maps and the Citymapper app came to rescue numerous times. I learned that there’s nothing wrong with getting a little lost, however, because it leads to some of the best finds. I got lost one
afternoon with my friend and it ended up leading us to the best coffee shop around with delicious lemon muffins and colorfully hand-painted walls.
The program is very hands on in the sense that our weeks are made up of visits to studios and museums, creative workshops, and a whole lot of artist talks. This week exposed me to so many
unique creatives from writers to brand designers and everyone in between. I found it refreshing to sit in front of such talent and take in every piece of advice that I could. I am excited to see
how much I grow on this program, both creatively and personally, and I cannot wait for what the rest of the time has in store for me!
duck sandwiches to fish & chips to cheese.
explored the library and a new writing exhibition one afternoon.
