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I've been home for about 15 days now, and still sometimes wake up wondering how my tiny London dorm room window got so large. Of course, it is big because it is not my London window at all, it is my street view bedroom window in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Now that I have been working and volunteering at my old jobs for a couple of weeks, living in the UK for a month seems like a dream. I was able to see and experience many things. I am fortunate that I was able to participate in such an awesome learning adventure.

My friend, Bonnie, came out to visit for a few days and we had a blast. We got to see some of the tourist attractions as well as hang out at local pubs. We saw a special exhibit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's art on display at Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace. This collection is only available for a finite period of time, so seeing it this time was a priority. The Barbican Centre had a weekend event involving a silent disco. Attendees wore headphones to listen to either of two DJ's, Bonnie and I rarely listened to the same one. The funniest part is taking off the headphones and seeing everyone dance to music that cannot be heard. We had a great time looking for a pub where Liam Gallagher from Oasis used to hang out. We took the tube and searched the area for this illusive spot. Upon giving up we ate some nachos at a Mexican restaurant. We sat and contemplated what the queue outside the window was for. Hours later, returning to our room, we once again looked up the sought after pub and saw that we were sitting right next to it, the queue was for the pub we had been searching for all night. In the end, we agreed that we probably had a better time walking around, seeing beautiful houses and interesting streets and people, than hanging out at a dark basement bar.

One of my favorite parts of this trip was exploring the city alone, and with fellow students I had met. I love the busy city, but my most memorable days were spent at the parks. Hyde Park and Regent's Park were much more than any park around where I live. Both of these parks could be explored for days, there are so many activities and gardens to see, they were quite impressive.

When asked what was my favorite part, I struggle to find an answer. While I enjoyed the difference between London and Edinburgh, I definitely preferred London. Usually my answer is, "all of London." Before traveling to London, I always pictured it to be just like New York City. I figured it would be so similar to NYC that the only difference I would notice would be in the accents. I was wrong, there are many cultural and physical differences. I guess I did not realize the immense amount of history that would be right there in the city. I learned so much from museums and touring historical buildings. I never knew a lot about British history, but now I know the basic facts. Like NYC, London has everything and then some. I have never seen or imagined a place so over the top as Harrod's. True, Macy's on 34th Street, is large and contains an array of luxury and expensive items, but it is not nearly as lavish as Harrod's. I met a local who told me about people purchasing lions from Harrod's at one point. It is hard to believe that the bulk of London is only in about four miles. Four miles packs in Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern, National Gallery, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tate Britian, National Portrait Gallery, Covent Gardens, Soho, Hyde Park, enough live theatre and musicals to keep entertained for a month and much much more. I fell in love with everything London, the Tube, theatre, Yo!Sushi, shopping galore, people watching, chilling out in cool parks and more. Another favorite of mine was just walking around. Walking around in a new city, especially one as vibrant as London, is entertainment itself. Many times, I really did not know what I would find around the corner (this was slightly shocking in Soho.) It was great though, walking and discovering. I feel like the best advice for someone traveling to London would be, 'walk to all the sites, and get your walking shoes on because it is all walking distance.'