Student Bloggers

This past weekend brought back high school memories. Three years ago my high school welcomed a beautiful foreign exchange student from Hannover, Germany. On Thursday night around 9:31 I was reunited with the brunette from continental Europe. In high school we were conjoined by the hip, we did everything together. From eating our weight in sushi, to dancing the night away at prom, Nora was a great part of senior year for me. Now as time has gone by we have both grown up and changed, but still deep down inside are the girls who would sing ‘Rack City Chicks’ by Tyga at the top of our lungs while driving down quiet Spokane, WA roads.

Before I even saw her face it was an adventure getting to ‘Liverpool Street Station.’ Luckily I know myself pretty well and knew that if I was traveling alone I was going to get lost and gave myself some extra time. Checking the huge board of arrivals once I ended up at Liverpool, I realized that I was there one minute before she arrived. As she walked up in her big blue coat I was brought back to my senior year. That night was a chill night, following Arcadia’s NO OVERNIGHT VISITORS rules we took her to her hostel for the weekend. The adventure would start the following day.

Friday took us to the “Freshers fair” where there were opportunities to join social clubs and intermix with other students. Unfortunately no intermixing happened with the British kind, but we did see them in their natural habitat. After spending time there we made our way back to Camden, the land of locks and street food. We enjoyed a nice girly night in.

Saturday was more of a touristy day filled with Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abby, and Trafalgar Square. Before we could even get to Parliament to start our day off we recognized some fellow tube riders. This season the NFL is hosting three games in Wembley stadium, and on this particular Saturday the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders were in town. During our tube ride I noticed three HUGE guys standing in the back, then as we were exiting I noticed their Miami Dolphins team gear. Being a proud Washingtonian said “Go Hawks” (Seattle Seahawks) and got three very slow head turns. The day included a lot of walking much to Nora’s disliking, but when in London you walk everywhere. As the day went on we took some breaks to rest our legs, but the walk from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square was too much, we ended up renting Boris Bikes. I have only ridden them in a park where the public informed me that I was on the wrong side, so attempting to ride a bike on the wrong side of the road was terrifying. After turning us around more than once we made it. Trafalgar Square was transformed into a Japanese festival, including a huge stage and booths. Nora and I were not expecting that so we just decided to quickly leave.

Sunday Erin, Nora, and I explored the day throughout Camden. We made our way to Primrose Hill. Words cannot express how magnificent that view is. You can see The Shard, London Eye, Big Ben, and the London Zoo all from one spot. Seeing the skyline gave me the feeling of “I’m here”. I have seen the Spokane and Nashville skylines and the only one that I have felt a wave of happiness from is London. I can truly say that these are some of the best days and memories.

Nora left early Monday morning, but my time with her was amazing. It was nice to have someone who has been with me through some crazy times and getting to share memories with her in London.