Submitted by Kristen Burns on the 2014 winter session study abroad program in London, England sponsored by the Department of History…
My first week in London was absolutely amazing. As this was my first time being outside of the United States of America, I felt like I needed to take everything in. On the second day of class, our professor paired us into groups of three and sent us off on a five-hour scavenger hunt across London to get acquainted with the city and one another. We took the tube and the bus all around London and visited places such as Arsenal Stadium, Parliament Square, and local eateries.
After that, my group went out together to have our first fish and chips experience. Since then, we have visited Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and Parliament as a group. Parliament was my absolute favorite because I was able to compare and contrast the government of the United State’s with that of Britain. The tradition behind how the three elements of the British government (House of Commons, House of Lords, and the Monarchy) interact with one another and have evolved was amazing to behold. Some structures in Parliament dated back as far as 1020 AD. London has shown me how valuable tradition can be.