I now live in a different country.
For the next two months, my home is Worcester, England, where I’m studying abroad and working with a team of Ball State student journalists to cover the London Olympics. We’ve been preparing for this trip for over a year and I can’t believe we’re actually here. Already, I am in love with everything about England — from the accents to the scenery to the fact that tea is served at EVERY meal. It is perfect.
Even the eight hour plane ride over here wasn’t too bad, although Chelsea said it was so hot that “they should seriously open the windows.” Unfortunately, Drew didn’t cry on his first plane ride (even though Anna had the camera ready), but the guy sitting next to Erica gave us ice cream and express passes through customs, so it almost made up for it.
We landed in London around 6 a.m. and Ryan was waiting for us with a bus driver and our guide named Boogey. (That is really his name). We started driving and it was so strange to be driving on the left side of the street. Also, one of the first things Anna and I did when we got to our flat was flush the toilet to see if the water swirled to the left, too. (We couldn’t tell).
We stopped at a rest stop where Anna and I fell in love with the cashier because she was so sweet, but mostly because she was the first person we interacted with that had a British accent. We also sat in a casino at 8 a.m. and ate our breakfast to celebrate the fact that I am legal over here and can be in places that serve alcohol without getting giant X’s on my hands. After a two hour drive through the beautiful countryside, dotted with sheep and the occasional castle, we arrived in Worcester.
Worcester is beautiful. The streets, with the cobblestone and small shops and incredible cathedrals, remind me a lot of Boston. Our flats are pretty modern, though, and we all get our own rooms and bathrooms. I truly did not think we were even going to make it into our dorms because, as soon as we arrived, our bus driver did this crazy backing-up maneuver between a gate and a pole where, for more than a short time, we were balancing on three wheels. It was probably the most impressive feat of driving I have ever seen. I can’t even park a regular compact car into a regular parking space correctly, so I was in awe.
After lunch, orientation and casual shopping, everyone wanted to go to sleep, but Anna and I heard a rumor that there were Zumba classes offered. OBVIOUSLY, we were going to check this out. We went to the rec center and, although we didn’t find out information about our favorite activity, we met a really nice man who told us a ton of interesting things we need to check out in Worcester. That’s one thing that I’ve noticed here so far: everyone is so nice! Cashiers want to chat with you while you check out your groceries; a professor will take a half hour out of his day to talk about Ball State and mountains and the Magna Carta. It’s a very friendly environment.
Anna and I ran into Colleen and the three of us walked around in the rain, looking at the different parts of the city and eating delicious cookies. She took us into super cute stores and showed us some of her favorite places. It made me so excited to be here. I can’t wait to go exploring more.
But, seriously: I am pretty sure I’m going to fall in love with every British person that opens their mouth. On our way to the UK version of Walmart, a lady was yelling profanities at someone down the street. She turned to us and apologized for saying such harsh words, but I just wanted to tell her that she could say anything and I would love listening to it.
I feel so lucky to be here. I’m with three of my best friends, traveling and experiencing all England has to offer. It’s completely surreal. An opportunity like this only happens once in a lifetime and I’m definitely going to take complete advantage of it.