London (Days 44-89)

How do I even begin to sum up the past 45 days? In London I visited museums and churches, attended nearly 30 plays, explored the historic streets, and had my 21st birthday out on the town! All between classes. You could definitely say I’ve been busy. 

It was here that I really encountered the study part of the my “study abroad” experience. In London, all of the due dates we’ve all tried to ignore all semester sprang upon us as suddenly and cruelly as the English rain. 

When I wasn’t doing work, I was typically in the audience of some magnificent production. I saw so many show in London! 29 plays in 45 days, and I’m not sick of seeing shows yet! I could gush about the incredible performances I saw at theaters all across the city. I saw everything from Shakespeare and Sophocles to contemporary premiers; huge budget musicals on the West End to a play in a warehouse. Going to the theatre was possibly my favorite part of my time in London. I have been inspired by the excellent productions I attended, and I feel so blessed to have had that experience! 

Oh! And I got to see two celebrities: Lindsay Lohan made her stage debut in Speed the Plow on the West End (And it was rough. Bless her heart). I was on the front row so I was less than a foot from Freaky Friday herself.
I also got to see Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow from Batman Begins among other things) in Ballyturk at The National Theatre. Cillian Murphy was outstanding! He gave one of the best performances of the entire semester. 

Besides hitting the books and seeing shows, I did a lot of exploring around the city! Here are just a few of my favorite things I did in London…

1. British Museum with Mel and Bob! Oh, did I mention my amazing parents came to London for a few days?? We had so much fun. It was one of the highlights of my semester! 
   
2. Tower of London
   
3. Covent Garden. This is my favorite part of London.! There are so many great places to each and shop, there is a musical quality to the hustle and bustle of the crowds, and the area always features the best street performers and artists! 
4. Westminster Abbey 
   
5. Hampton Court. A beautiful castle, stunning gardens, and a hysterically cheesy guided tour made for a perfect Sunday afternoon.  
   
   
6. St. Paul’s Cathedral might have the most stunning ceiling I’ve ever seen! I also climbed 528 steps to the top of the dome. I can't say I found the view worth the perspiration, but at least I got a much-needed workout! 
7. Borough and Portobello Markets. Borough features big crowds and restaurant-quality foods. Portobello is out of the main city area and is mostly for trinket shopping. I had a blast at both! 
8. Abbey Road. It's out of the way and it appears no different from any other cross-walk, but I’ll be darned if we weren’t going to go anyway and get this picture! 
   
9. Harry Potter Studio Tour. This is a must-do for any Potterphile. I got to see the sets, costumes, props, and creatures of the legendary Harry Potter movies. The coolest attraction is gigantic model of Hogwarts, coated in snow to celebrate the Christmas season. More info HERE for anyone curious to know more! 
   
10. Acting on The Globe stage. This was one of the greatest experiences of my entire life. Our group participated in a private (and incredible) acting workshop on the stage of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. At the end of the workshop, we were given the opportunity to perform scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream in pairs. You know what that means? I can officially say I’ve performed at Shakespeare’s Globe! Pretty cool, right? 
    
    
    

I hope that this post gave you a taste of my very special London experience! Only a few more posts left: from my fall break in Prague and my end-of-the-semester trip to Paris and Cornwall, so look forward to those in the near future! Thanks for reading!