London Calling: 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Departing Once More

Sitting in Heathrow Airport waiting for my departure gate to be displayed is somewhat bittersweet. While I have been away for six weeks and I look forward to my last year of university, filled with football games, tailgates, and spending time with friends, the thought of leaving London behind is one I'd prefer not to entertain too long. It seems like just last week I was awaiting my flight to London in an airport in Detroit. There I met Rachel and Crystal as we excitedly chatted about our impending study abroad experience.

Now that's it's drawing to a close, I can reflect back on my time in the UK. The experience was everything I hoped it would be and more. I think perhaps my favorite part of the entire stay was the time I spent with my family in North Wales. The experience of studying somewhere else was great too, don't get me wrong, but to some degree a classroom is just a classroom, whether it be in East Lansing or London. But to travel to the places where your grandmother grew up and see the places where your grandparents used to spend time together is something completely different. To travel through places with such a rich history and walk through castles 500 years older than my own country is mind-blowing. To meet my second cousins Adam and Ben was beyond cool. I had been dying to spend time with "locals" whether in London or North Wales to see how reality compared with what I had seen in British TV shows. It was so much better! Beside the accent, I will miss the witty British banter and cheeky comebacks. I will miss the comparisons of the English language and well ... the English language.

And on behalf of Adam's friend Owen, I would like to inform "all Americans" that not everybody who is British is from
England (some are Welsh and very proud to be)!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

North Wales

My study abroad program ended last Thursday in London. It was such a great, rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! After class on Thursday, my great uncle picked me up and we drove the 4.5 hours to Towyn, North Wales (look it up on a map!). It's a small town along the northern coast of the country about an hour's drive from Liverpool.

Here in Towyn I am staying with my grandmother's sister Pat and her husband Bill. This my first time meeting them and their children and their families. It has been a wonderful experience meeting all my relatives and it is interesting seeing all the family resemblances and little habits that have been passed down.

My Auntie Pat reminds me so much of my grandmother, Jean (who I referred to as Nanny), who passed away in 2005. It has been so comforting spending time with her as I feel like I am spending time with Nanny. I love to hear the stories that she tells of my Nanny and Grandpa when they were dating in the 50s in England and of all the trips that various other family members have made to North Wales.

Rather than post about every place I've been, I'll post the link to my fb photo album of North Wales. I hope you enjoy!

North Wales Pictures

Discovery Trails - Yellow Route

Yellow Route

Here it is, finally! The last of the Discovery Trails and the last of the Wenlock and Mandeville statues. On this route, there were supposed to be a total of 16 statues but one was stolen. Ironically, it was the Graffiti Wenlock. Since I was there, they have replaced it with a new statue called Park Wenlock. Check out the website for a picture of the statue I missed.

Bishopsgate Wenlock