Submitted by Christine Eliassen on the 2016 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice…
Before traveling to London with the Criminal Justice department, I was nervous beyond belief. As an accounting major, I wanted to branch out and have a completely different experience outside of the business world. Now that I have been here for a week, it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. It seems almost impossible that seven days ago, I didn’t know anyone in the program.
So far, I could not have asked for a better time here in London. The culture here is truly unbelievable; anyone and everyone along the streets have gone out of their way to talk to us. The amount of knowledge and understanding I have gained, along with all of our activities already completed, has amazed me. We kicked off the program by taking a boat tour down the Thames River with some of the most breathtaking sights I have ever seen in my life.
I have very quickly realized how much history is placed in and around London. Going to the Tower of London was an incredible experience- just being able to stand in the exact place where so many were executed really opened my eyes. Our group also took a day trip to Dover, Kent (about 2 hours outside of London) to visit the famous Secret War Tunnels that were used during WWII. It was pretty astounding how I was able to transform back into time and experience what the soldiers and others would have gone through on a daily basis. The sights, scents, and overall feeling I had were more than I could have imagined.
As much as I have loved every learning experience thus far, nothing compares to the unforgettable times I have had with each individual on the trip. Our group does just about everything together. We go from class, to excursion, to exploring the city, to dinner, to getting lost on the London Tube Station. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am still amazed at how close we have all gotten in just one week, and cannot wait to see what the following three weeks have in store for us!
