Submitted by Dylan O’Keeffe on the 2013 fall semester program in London, England…
Despite my large stature leaving me extremely uncomfortable on my six hour red eye over to London, I would say my first week has been quite a success. CAPA, the program in which I will be studying on, welcomed all the students with open arms. The friendly staff offered the students a welcoming tea at which I could meet my other classmates for the first time. After receiving a lesson on proper teatime etiquette, I enjoyed crepes, delicious pastries and my first cup of tea in London! The apartment I am living in is located in Ealing, which is a suburb section of London. It did not take long for the group to make friends with some locals on a night out because thus far, everyone seems to be very friendly in this town .
Although I have only scraped the surface of the city, I have already seen so much. A three-hour bus tour showed us the city, which will be home to myself and twenty-seven other UD students. I was very excited to learn that Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and many more were on the agenda for the afternoon. Our tour guide showed us many of the famous sites, which gave us a taste of the tourist lifestyle, but once you captured your picture, it was time to move on to the next site. It was a great introduction to all of the sight-seeing we will be doing.
A day in the Camden Markets truly showed me that this city has so much to offer. Enjoying some free samples from all the different food stands, haggling with boutique owners, and enjoying many laughs with my classmates would accurately describe the afternoon. With its young and exciting vibe, I am sure I will spend a lot of time in Camden. Much planning will be part of my Sunday night before classes start so I can start to chisel away at every nook and cranny of London.