"London is the Place for Me..."

Micaela and I spent the weekend in London. Our main reason for going on this particular weekend was to attend a reception for all American Fulbrighters in the UK at the U.S. Embassy. In order to make the most of our time Micaela and I took an early bus from Newport, Gwent bus station. This was the most affordable method of travel, and only added about an hour of travel time over a train. The three hour drive was well worth it...and honestly, while most people may think it crazy, I could easily justify doing this several times, even as day trips with early and late buses to and from the city! The drive on the National Express bus service was quick, efficient and safe. We were delivered to the heart of the city - Victoria Coach Station - which was a short walk to the Victoria Train Station, where we got the Tube to our hotel. This city is quite easy to navigate once you have a basic sense of direction and have the secret that child's fare tickets are available at the window and only cost 1 pound for the entire day - tube and bus transportation! It's worth standing in the queue in get this, as a full day adult fair is 5.60; also a good value!

Having arrived a bit too early to check in to our hotel on Friday in the West End of London, Micaela and I set out to explore as much as we could on this particular afternoon. The weather was gorgeous and somewhat warm with a bit of breeze the closer we got to the Thames River. We walked west up the Strand turned down south to the Waterloo Bridge where we were afforded a beautiful view of the Parliament buildings, the Jubilee Bridge, Cleopatra's Needle, the Westminster Bridge, Big Ben and the London Eye! Immediately, that became our goal and destination of the day. While a bit pricey - at 17 pounds for adults and 8.60 for children, it was definitely worth every pence! I would say it is London's answer to the Eiffel Tower. The geometric patterns of the steel of the wheel and the heights one gets to be able to look out over the rooftops of London are just as spectacular as those afforded in Paris from the Eiffel Tower! I could not help but reminisce of my time there at sunset with Zachary two summers ago, and now I was having a similar experience with Micaela in an entirely different city, yet one as rich with cultural history and aged architecture as the other. Perhaps Zach was a bit more enthused about the Eiffel Tower than Micaela seemed to be with the Eye experience, but so be it.

What I love the most about the city of London is its sense of openness. While the traffic is quite heavy at times, the city is not "tall" and there is a great amount of sky visible from the streets. One does not feel claustrophobic as one can in some American cities with their looming skyscrapers.

Walking Westminster Bridge was a thrilling experience as I could not help but think of William Wordsworth composing his poem, and all the other literary giants of our time who must have walked across that very bridge. I was enthralled with every historical site and sight I have ever seen on television or read about in a book... I am truly living my dream expressed in my original Fulbright essay. I couldn't be more thrilled with what I am experiencing and I am so happy I can share it all with Micaela. Truly, I cannot put it into words. I honestly never thought I would step foot into Harrods, doors through which Princess Di and the Queen walk through. I never thought I would touch the golden gates of Buckingham Palace and see the balcony from which a newly married princess waved from. I never thought I'd walk the very streets that Wordsworth, Shelley, Stoker, Shakespeare, Dickens and Austen so often walked and from where they received their inspiration. I never thought I'd see the great Westminster Abbey, Big Ben or Scotland Yard. Still to see...The Globe, Trafalgar Tavern, Dickens's home, and St. Paul's... and countless other places. Not to mention all the museums and tours that I did not get a chance to see on this visit. The list is growing and the travel guide given to me by Heather prior to my trip never left my bag or my hand while there. Thank you, Heather! What a great gift you gave me!

The reception at the Embassy, while the reason for the trip, was somewhat anti-climactic. It was fantastic, however, to meet up with all my fellow Fulbrighters and enjoy a chance to chat, compare notes and enjoy a glass of wine. It was also a treat to meet other UK Fulbrighters who had just returned from their year abroad and who were full of invitations to visit their homes, share the experiences and provide support on this end to us also. It truly is a wonderful group to be a part of and I cannot wait until I too can repay the kindnesses on this end to some lucky UK teacher who gets to visit the US next year by being a mentor and friend to them too.

On Saturday, having a full day of meetings scheduled, which were not going to be held in the hotel, much to my chagrin as that is what I had originally thought, I was fretting about what to do with Micaela. It was not my plan to let a 14 year old loose in the streets of the London by herself. Fortunately, we meet a lovely couple during the embassy reception, who were there accompanying their US Fulbright teacher, Paul and Lynn - he being a head teacher to one of our group. They kindly offered to take Micaela under their wing the following day as they explored the city. They walked about 20 miles that afternoon... and needless to say Micaela slept well on Saturday night. Thank you to them both for taking care of her that day!

My day was spent discussing the UK educational system - including classroom management challenges, curriculum and assessment challenges and also learning from my fellow Americans that I am not alone. We are all facing challenges of living abroad and being without the comforts of home - simple things like water pressure, tumble dryers and certain foods in the grocery are all things we have in common. I think I am the only person with the challenges of driving long distances to and from my school and living space, but those that have been driving shorter distances are indeed adjusting to road widths, although perhaps not so much the hedge lined twists and turns that I experience here. I found these sessions rather useful, as I have already employed some strategies in my classroom in the past few days with some particularly difficult students.

Saturday evening I was lucky enough to purchase tickets to see the musical Chicago at the Leicester Square discount ticket booth. Mel had given me the tip on this location and we got half price tickets with fabulous seats in the center of the theater. Micaela and I are finally discovering a unique passion that we have in common, which is the musical theater... as we also saw The Phantom of the Opera while in New York this past summer. It only took 14 years for us to develop a shared interest. Stolen glances at her face, during these performances, have always found her rapt in the moment and the songs.

Sunday we navigated our way back to the center of the city, as we moved our lodging to the north end of the city and the dormitories at the London School of Economics. At first I was not thrilled with the choice of accommodations, as I felt quite claustrophobic, and the shared bath was not exactly the cleanest. However, upon examination of my fellow traveler photo albums on facebook, I realized their rooms were much nicer than ours so next time, should I arrange to stay there again, I will make certain that we are much more comfortable.

Once again, we set out on walking the streets of London and our tour took us to Buckingham Palace, Wellington Arch, Harrods, Royal Albert Hall, and Kensington Palace. Melissa, Nancy, Micaela and I all getting in a lot of exercise on this particular day. Unfortunately, while we had hoped to see the famous "changing of the guard" at the Palace, it was cancelled for the day due to a cycle tour taking place through the city. Very disappointing.

Exhausted we returned by Tube to Victoria Coach Station in order to board our 5:30 p.m. coach home to Wales. Our whirlwind tour of London having come to an end we are already planning our next visit and perhaps an entire week during half term. No need to travel to the continent as there is definitely enough to see in London! It is very easy to picture myself living there...but alas, dreaming - I must remember that my "real life" awaits me in the U.S.

I am, however, along with Micaela, regretting that I did not sign up for an entire year exchange. The experience is definitely rich and rewarding and has been worth every second of fear, aggravation and tears I have experienced. The learning curve, once conquered and mastered, will find me boarding a plane to return home. This weekend trip to London was a definite turning point in my psyche and I know I will be sad when the time comes to return home, as I am settling in. (This does not mean I do not miss my family, friends and dogs at home... I do...terribly...and I wish every one of you could be here with me!) I know it was not a mistake to sign up for this experience and I hope that I will somehow be able to participate in something similar at some point in the future.

"At night when you have nothing to do, you can take a walk and shop every avenue...oh yes, London that is the place for me."