Upcoming: DisneyWorld!
May 20th - June 5th 2025 : York, England & London, England
When I enrolled in the university I went to, I had no idea how popular study abroad was. Luckily, my university has nearly perfected our program and hundreds of students go each year. I was on track to graduate a year early so I decided to study abroad which helped me earn the credits I needed while also exploring another country! This is, sort of, the first time I had ever left the country. I have been to St. John, a U.S. territory, but it is nothing like entering an entirely new country. The course I took while abroad was a gothic mix of literature (English) and ruins (History). Myself, 14 other students, and 3 professors spend a week-ish in York and another week-ish in London. York is home to York Minster, a cathedral that has been in operation since the 7th century. It is open to the public for worship, but the tour we took made it feel more like a museum. The building is 236 feet high, filled with stained glass, monuments, sculptures, everything you imagine when you think "gothic". Walking through York feels like stepping into Hogsmeade from Harry Potter. There are a few Harry Potter stores as well, one where I indulged in a butter beer! York has plenty of things to do as well, with shopping centers, frequent festivals, markets, small businesses, and the coolest bars you'll ever see. "Evil Eye" is the bar we were enamored with! The bottom floor was packed with people in line at the bar, where you can get dozens of cocktails and shots, you can even play shot-bingo! Upstairs was two floors for sitting where we discovered beds and benches built into the walls, with the most witchy throw pillows and drapes hung, giving guests a private-ish space. While in York, we visited St. Mary's Abbey, Fountains Abbey (the inspiration for Dracula), Whitby Abbey, and Castle Howard. Many of these are partially or almost fully vanished ruins, but Castle Howard has the most interesting story (PLEASE read about it online!!) with incredible artwork from all over the world by the most famous artists, a huge garden with greek mythology inspiration, and so much more.
In London we spent a lot of time on the tube, the first public transportation I had ever been on. I was amazed with how efficient it was. My friends and I saw Nessa Barret in concert, went on the London Eye, saw the Big Ben, and visited the Buckingham Palace where we were nearly trampled by horses during the Sunday Parade. While in London we traveled to Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and Strawberry Hill House created by Horace Walpole. Each of these locations were stunning, slightly creepy, and full of inspiration for writers. We had an amazing time learning and experiencing these parts of history. I also found some of the best pizza EVER, at Zizzi's. Being a picky eater complicates traveling (England has loads of potatoes, no ranch) but some of the things I tried were delicious! If you ever find yourself in York or London, check out some of these spots!
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