Alexa Madrid: Blog Post #2

It is now a week into my time abroad with TCU in London, and I have a lot to fill you all in on!

We started off the week with a welcome meal at a pub called Elephant and Castle, where we could try some of London’s more traditional food, such as Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas. We then attended an orientation with Accent Global, our home away from home for all things school, and then the fun truly began.

In the first week, I visited 3 of London’s museums, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Tate Modern. It was really cool to get lost in these museums and see all these historic sculptures, paintings, and even a real Stormtrooper costume! We also quickly learned what our staple breakfast place was going to be while we were away: Art Cafe. It is fantastic, and the plates really look like art! It also helps that it is about a 7-minute walk from our flat here at Elephant and Castle.

I conquered the tube, which is actually fairly easy to understand and navigate once you get used to it. I also noticed that my sleep schedule over here is very different than at home, which I find super interesting. When at home, I am a night owl all the way and can be found sleeping until 10am or later. Here I am, asleep in bed by 10pm, and up around 6am. I also found my favorite culture shock: the plastic water bottle caps do not come off!

To top this week off, I got to see 4 shows, including: Warhorse at the National Theatre, Robert Icke’s Romeo and Juliet(the one with Sadie Sink in it), Disney’s Hercules, and finally The Hunger Games: On Stage! It was so neat to experience shows in the West End. Their use of technology and sets I find really out of this world. If I had to pick a favorite from this batch of shows, I think it would be Disney’s Hercules. It was just a blast and so true to the original Disney movie that holds such a special place in my heart.

We ended the week by visiting Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. It was really neat to get out of the city a little bit and see something so historic. It was a really cool way to end the week before a much-needed day off.