Student Bloggers

To me, the hardest part of studying abroad was leaving my family in St. Louis. With the six hour time difference between us, it is difficult sometimes to find time between classes, extracurriculars, travel, and everything else that life throws at you while you are in another country to talk to my family. After being in London for a full month, I began to crave spending time with my mom, my dad, and my two brothers. It was this homesickness that inspired me to reach out to my family and ask each of them to send me to a spot in London they think I should explore. I am sharing each of the spots that my family chose for me, my thoughts and feelings around the places I explored, and how they aided me in connecting with my family from 4,000 miles away!

My Mom - Hatchards

When I wrote in my bio “avid reader”, I truly meant that. I usually average around 60 - 70 books every year. Can you tell I am an English major? I totally believe that I got my reading habits from my mom. So it came as no surprise when my mom’s spot for me to explore was a bookstore. Established in 1797, Hatchards is London’s oldest bookshop. Queen Charlotte (yes, the one in Bridgerton) was one of Hatchard’s first customers and the bookstore continues to have strong ties to the royal family in 2024. I went to the original location in Piccadilly which is a beautiful, five-story building. The bookstore maintains its quaint exterior inside with spiral staircases, meticulously organized shelves, and extremely helpful staff members. My favorite section of Hatchards was the two bookshelves on the first floor dedicated to Agatha Christie (which makes total sense since she is only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare). It is truly a magnificent bookstore and it makes my heart ache for my mom. In St. Louis, my mom and I frequently visit bookstores together. Even if we never buy anything, it is time that we set aside for each other. Hatchard reminds me of our shared love of reading. If you are ever in need of a book, you will have plenty of options at Hatchards!

My Dad - Little Venice

My dad’s side of the family is entirely Italian. While a trip to Italy in between classes was not in the cards for me, I could take a 45 minute tube ride to Little Venice. My dad was the one who introduced me to Little Venice and I had never heard of it before so I was very excited to visit! Little Venice is a residential district in West London that is well known for the canal boats that line its shores. Lord Byron first called this area “Venice” although it is argued that Robert Browning was the one who nicknamed it “Little Venice”. I went in mid-October and it was a perfect autumn day where it was just slightly chilly and the leaves were first starting to color. My first stop was the Waterside Cafe for their cream tea. Waterside Cafe is a cafe found on a boat and I recommend sitting inside because it is such a unique experience. The scones were perfectly warm, sweet, and buttery and the tea was strong and rich. It definitely kept me warm on my walk along the canal. I honestly just loved getting to walk along the water and watch all the geese, ducks, swans, and other water birds swim past me. If you want a nice place to sit, I love Rembrandt Gardens since you have an amazing view of the water. My favorite part of Little Venice was how peaceful it was. It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Central London. While I was walking along the canal, I was reminded of all the times my dad and I would take a walk on the trail near our house. It felt nice to be reminded of my dad. So if you are looking for an escape from city life or you need a break from the stress of university, I recommend taking a trip down to Little Venice!

My Brother Gabe - Sky Garden

When I asked each of my family members to send me a location, Gabe was my wild card. I had no idea where he would pick. When Gabe picked the Sky Garden, I laughed a little because the Sky Garden was already on my list of places to visit. However, I knew that it had to be good if Gabe was telling me to go! So, I booked my ticket and waited (somewhat) patiently for the day. It was totally worth the wait! Designed in 2004, Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden which offers a wide variety of plant life alongside beautiful views of the city. From high above the clouds, you can see so many iconic landmarks from a new angle. All of the plants and flowers gave me that boost of serotonin, especially since I visited on a rainy and gray day. In fact, the Sky Garden specifically picked plants that flourished all year so even if you go in December, you will still be surrounded by green. I had so much fun wandering around and exploring the space. They also have a fabulous cafe which offers some amazing (gluten free) chocolate fudge cake. The cake tasted so similar to the chocolate cake Gabe would always get for his birthday. We share a birthday month and the cake reminded me of Gabe while I was surrounded by my favorite view of London. It is truly a breathtaking experience and I recommend that everyone take at least one trip up! 

My Brother Owen - The Imperial War Museum

While I am obsessed with English, my brother Owen is obsessed with history. I had never heard of The Imperial War Museum until Owen recommended it to me. I love museums (I mean, I did write an entire blog post about museums), although I tend to lean more towards art museums. However, I was pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed The Imperial War Museum. It was founded in 1917 to record the sacrifice of all the people who served in the ongoing World War I. They began to collect artifacts from uniforms to intact vehicles to love letters written between battles. Right when you enter the museum grounds, you are greeted by two naval guns that were built for a British ship in World War I. It is like nothing you have ever seen (unless you frequent warships). There is also lots of green space surrounding the Imperial War Museum which includes a section of the Berlin Wall. As a United States citizen, it was truly fascinating to learn about the British perspective of World War I and World War II. It definitely feels more personal and heavy since the fighting was a lot closer to home. You could easily spend hours in this museum reading every single detail. While reading about the details of artifacts, I was reminded of the times that Owen would tell me about different historical events during our rides to and from school. You will probably find me here in mid-December with Owen when he visits!