Harlaxton Day 2: Class and Harry Potter

Hello Friends!

Last night, we had our first full night of sleep in England! It was desperately needed after hours of travel consisting of trying to fall asleep in uncomfortable positions in uncomfortable airplane seats. Our jetlag began to hit everyone last night, as we all slowly started forgetting how to function in the most basic of ways.

Getting that sleep was much needed for the full day that was ahead of us—a day filled with class time, all things Harry Potter, and free time!

Our first official class period consisted of a discussion of Persuasion, Jane Austen, John Keats, and miscellaneous dates. This was by far the most interesting class period I have ever sat in, as there is never a dull moment with Professor Rutledge.

After class, we had a quick lunch break and grabbed sandwiches from the nearby coffee shop, Costa. We were then on the road! The 46-minute bus ride went by quick as we filled it with multiple games of Heads Up.

Touring the Harry Potter Studios was definitely one of the most highly anticipated activities. Everyone was filled with excitement from the biggest Harry Potter fans to those who didn’t even know Hufflepuff from Ravenclaw. I was able to feel as if I was a part of the films—from walking along Diagon Alley, exploring the Hogwarts express at the Platform 9 ¾, enjoying Butterbeer, and dying from embarrassment when having to ride the green-screen broomstick in front of the crowd of people. Harry Potter Studios was an immersive, magical experiment that allowed us to learn about the behind-the-scenes of Harry Potter!

After the touring of Harry Potter Studios, we had about 4 hours of free time to explore London! I went in a group of 10 with our goal location being Westminister. We ended up getting stuck on the London tube for around 30 minutes on our way there and on the way back we got on the wrong tube which resulted in us getting a little lost—the London tube has definitely been an experience, but it’s been one that has resulted in us gaining independence and learning navigational skills.

England so far has been a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to see what else is in store!

 

As the British say, Cheers!

-Isabel