While a 10-hour plane flight and no language barrier may make London appear to be the least exotic Pepperdine IP destination, I can speak from experience and say that is not the case.
Even though it’s only about a week into the program, I already have nine weeks of London under my belt because I am one of the three students who are returning after the 2012 summer program—I have grown to love the city as a second home.
Arriving at Heathrow for the third time, I knew the drill. Although different, we still had a group of excited students and a welcoming faculty family. The only drastic difference is that the summer faculty family included two kids (one in high school and the other in junior high).
The house dynamic has also changed as the summer group had an incredible mix of grades ranging from sophomores to graduated seniors, whereas the fall semester group includes all sophomores and one junior.
Despite the group changes and the familiar surroundings, this go around wasn’t any less exciting than the first. Our London house is still gorgeous, the beds are still comfy and the program directors are still as nice and helpful as ever.
Plus, the city itself is a phenomenal place to be, even if we did just barely miss the Olympics. From our house, a 10-minute walk one direction is to the Tube station, which is the most-used mode of transportation that can get you anywhere. A 10-minute walk the other way is to Hyde Park, the prime spot for those who want to escape the cars and commotion for a while.
Hot destinations to see are Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, though those only touch upon what this place has to offer.
To break the stereotype, London is not full of white, English accented people who cook bad food and don’t talk to Americans. There are people walking around speaking many unique languages, and they come from all across the globe. And although experiences vary, from my point of view, they can be quite friendly.
I was fortunate enough to meet an East London local at church one Sunday morning, and I’ve become very good friends with her. We kept in touch after I went home for the summer, and I plan to be meeting up with her throughout the year.
Coming up on Friday, our group will take the traditional bus trip to Stonehenge. That is followed by a short ride to Salisbury, which is a cute town of shops and restaurants with a beautiful nearby cathedral.
Then, the first week of October, we already embark on our EFT to Greece.
I look forward to sharing the adventures I have in this glorious city. Not sure if I can top my summer experience of pick-up rugby with massively built college guys in Hyde Park, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Cheers!
