By Alivia Lapcevich
Alpha Iota Kappa Chapter, Thiel College, PA
Alpha Iota Kappa Chapter, Thiel College, PA
In July 2009, I traveled to the United Kingdom to study at Kingston University in London for four weeks, thanks to the Vira I.
Heinz Scholarship for women. While I was there, I supplemented my British Culture & Society course and my London & its Literature course with frequent London exploits to the places about which I was reading.
While reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, my class and I followed the path through London’s streets that Clarissa Dalloway took during the novel, even stopping in at Hatchards, London’s oldest book store. While studying the importance of theatre and William Shakespeare in London, I attended a performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre. A trip to London is nothing without mention of the Queen, so I went to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. I visited Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens where I went barefoot in Princess Diana’s memorial fountain and stood next to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan statue. I took a train up to King’s Cross Station to visit Harry Potter’s Platform 9 3/4 after going to Leicester Square to see the World Premiere of the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I visited the Tower of London with its 530 karat diamond and Henry VIII’s endowed suits of armor. In a relatively short time, I visited the Sherlock Holmes’ Museum on Baker Street, Charles Dickens’ house at 48 Doughty Street, Samuel Johnson’s place in Gough Square, Henry VIII’s Hampton Court, the British Museum, Parliament, the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, Stonehenge in Salisbury, the Roman Baths in Bath, Christ Church in Oxford, and much, much more.
The program allowed me to immerse myself in British culture by socializing with locals on the tube, shopping in the centers, and reading the free newspapers that are ever so popular. I attended the Royal Regatta in Henley, which is one of the many social occasions of “the season,” and learned about the origins of Ha-ha wall, the epitome of British humor. Every minute of my spare time was spent in London, visiting or trying something new.
Near the end of the program, I was also able to take a train to Paris, France, for the weekend. In Paris, I was able to visit all the classic Paris attractions like the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower while feasting on crepes and baguettes. I also took the train to Versailles and toured the palace and gardens.
The experiences I had this summer have truly enhanced my perspective on the world. There is something to be said for actually living and experiencing one's schooling, and that is exactly what I got to do this summer. I am very blessed for having been given this opportunity.
While reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, my class and I followed the path through London’s streets that Clarissa Dalloway took during the novel, even stopping in at Hatchards, London’s oldest book store. While studying the importance of theatre and William Shakespeare in London, I attended a performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre. A trip to London is nothing without mention of the Queen, so I went to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. I visited Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens where I went barefoot in Princess Diana’s memorial fountain and stood next to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan statue. I took a train up to King’s Cross Station to visit Harry Potter’s Platform 9 3/4 after going to Leicester Square to see the World Premiere of the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I visited the Tower of London with its 530 karat diamond and Henry VIII’s endowed suits of armor. In a relatively short time, I visited the Sherlock Holmes’ Museum on Baker Street, Charles Dickens’ house at 48 Doughty Street, Samuel Johnson’s place in Gough Square, Henry VIII’s Hampton Court, the British Museum, Parliament, the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, Stonehenge in Salisbury, the Roman Baths in Bath, Christ Church in Oxford, and much, much more.
The program allowed me to immerse myself in British culture by socializing with locals on the tube, shopping in the centers, and reading the free newspapers that are ever so popular. I attended the Royal Regatta in Henley, which is one of the many social occasions of “the season,” and learned about the origins of Ha-ha wall, the epitome of British humor. Every minute of my spare time was spent in London, visiting or trying something new.
Near the end of the program, I was also able to take a train to Paris, France, for the weekend. In Paris, I was able to visit all the classic Paris attractions like the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower while feasting on crepes and baguettes. I also took the train to Versailles and toured the palace and gardens.
The experiences I had this summer have truly enhanced my perspective on the world. There is something to be said for actually living and experiencing one's schooling, and that is exactly what I got to do this summer. I am very blessed for having been given this opportunity.