I began my day by skipping breakfast (sorry mom) and sleeping in. It was the first time we had a morning of free time in what felt like forever. We were able to study for our quiz later in the day, sleep in, write our papers, or anything else that needed to be done during this time. The day before, we had a long and hot hike through the moors. It was breathtaking from both beauty and the sheer amount of physical activity.

In class that day, we had a guest speaker come in to tell us all about her experiences as grad student in the UK. She gave us so much information and many of us a little bit of hope that we could try to go to school abroad one day. After the speaker, we got our first essays back and launched into a full discussion about The Merry Wives of Windsor and John Bunyan.

Once class got out, we immediately left for Tolethorpe Hall to see a live performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor. On the way there, we stopped in Grantham at a grocery store to pick up some food for a picnic. When everyone was finally corralled back on the coach, we took a short ride to Stamford. We got off of the coach, and as soon as we were all ready to start our picnic, there was an absolute downpour. Every one of us booked it back to the coach to stay dry until the rain stopped. Thankfully, the rain only lasted for a short while. By the time we finally got to sit down and eat, everything was soaked but we still made the best of what was going on. Even though the day had been one of the hottest that England has had in 40 something years, the temperature had dropped by several degrees. The sun was peeking through the clouds as they passed. It was fantastic. We finally got to start our picnic and it was by far one of the best dinners I’ve had since I’ve been in England. While we were at the store, my friend group decided to split up what we bought. Each of us bought bread, cheese, tomatoes, meat, chips (or crisps as they call them here), fruit, or drinks. Our group had a huge potluck and it was honestly a great time on a wet table.

After we finished eating, it was time to watch the play. It had a slow start, but was funny as it progressed. The play, like Hamlet, was much better watched then read. The subtle plays on words and the funny actions could be recognized a lot easier when it was live. Something I found interesting was that they had the play set in the 1940’s, so they had swing music and the apparel of the time. They even had one of their actors attempting a southern drawl, which was especially, and probably unintentionally, funny for us as Americans from Kentucky.

To end the night, we got back on the coach. As soon as we got back, a majority of us began to work towards finishing up our second essays that were due the next day. Overall, it was a great day that was full of funny happenings and one that I will remember fondly when I look back at my time in Harlaxton.

Drew

By: Drew Aubry

We started our long journey at the airport. Our parents helped to check us all in and see us off for the trip. It was sad to say goodbye, but exciting to be starting our study abroad experience. We made our way through security and then to our gate. Since we were around an hour early, many of us played card games, went and found food, or began working on some last minute assignments from the summer. The hour passed quickly, though and before we knew it, we were boarding our first flight to Atlanta International Airport.

Once we got there, we rode the tram to the other end of the airport to our new gate. Inside the airport proper, there were stores of all sorts and restaurants everywhere. It almost felt like a shopping mall. When I first set foot in that plane, I quickly realized that it was the biggest one I had ever been on. It felt like the cabin went on forever. I found my seat and was overwhelmed by the things I found there. Immediately, there was a pillow and blanket waiting for me in the chair (I honestly thought I wouldn’t use it until about hour three out of the eight). I also found international plugs for various electronics, a USB jack, a headphone jack, a touch screen loaded with everything you could imagine (games, movies, music, and more). While we were waiting for takeoff, the flight attendants came to pass around menus for dinner, complimentary headphones, and eye masks with earplugs. Before we even began to take off, all of us were locked in an intense game of multiplayer bingo (for anyone wondering, Trivan won our first round).

After that, we were all talking to each other, playing games, or starting movies. We continued to catch up from the long summer apart until it got dark outside. Some of us slept, most of us didn’t, and almost none of us slept for more than a few hours at most. Before it got dark, though, dinner was served. There isn’t much to say about it, other than it was a warm meal for a bunch of hungry teenagers. After dinner, they handed out water bottles and came by with the drink cart often throughout the flight. Breakfast was served to us around an hour before we landed. If you ordered a special meal, it was a hot breakfast. If you didn’t, it was yogurt, a muffin, and orange juice. Not bad quality at all.

Coming off of the flight into customs/immigration was amazing after sitting on a plane for that many hours. It was packed and we took an hour and a half to get through. We made jokes with each other in line and when you got to the counter they asked questions like “Why are you in England?” and “How long will you be staying?” After we were all through, we collected our luggage and without further delay, were off into the world of London!