Submitted by Erin Boland on the 2016 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice…
As I began my study abroad trip to London, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know anyone in my group (except for the three orientation meetings we had beforehand) and I wasn’t sure how I would like living in another country for an entire month. But, so far so good! It’s only been a week and it’s already been an incredible experience.
We started our program with a boat ride on the Thames River. We were able to see so many monumental sites – like Big Ben, the London Eye and the Tower Bridge. That wasn’t even the main point of our excursion, but I already loved it. I took so many pictures and really started to talk to my classmates more. We made our way to the Naval College where we went to Painted Hall. The art here was beautiful and our guide was able to give us the history behind it. Our next step was the Royal Observatory which I thought was awesome. Here lies the prime meridian, so I was on both sides of the world at the same time! I never thought I would do that. It was so interesting learning about how they would tell time and how the ships would communicate. It really makes me appreciate having a cell phone and being able to talk to anyone when I want.
Another excursion we did was the Tower of London. We learned about how executions were so common back then and how it was entertainment. Everyone would gather around to see the executions. There is so much history behind the Tower of London so it was really cool to be able to experience that. At that same site, we saw the Crown Jewels. They were absolutely beautiful. I loved looking around at everything and wished I could have taken pictures of the jewels.
Our final excursion of the week was to Dover Castle and War Tunnels. This was another site with a lot of history behind it. It was fascinating to learn that it was used around the time of WWII. We toured two tunnels: Operation Dynamo and an Underground Hospital. Times were so difficult back then, I can’t even imagine what they went through. The site included so many effects, like sounds and smell, which really added to the experience. Overall, it was a really cool place to see. And I know I would have never gone there if it weren’t for this study abroad program.
I was nervous as I flew to London, but now I know I had nothing to be nervous about. I have honestly loved spending so much time with my group. We’ve gotten so close over this week and I can’t wait to see what the next three weeks has in store. My teacher is great, the classes are interesting, and each excursion has been an incredible experience. It’s weird not being on my phone all the time (I can only be on it when I connect to Wifi), but it’s nice to just spend time with everyone and live in the moment.
