Home at last!

Since I have been home now for 3 days, and had plenty of time to unpack, do laundry and finish up my Christmas shopping. The 2 weeks away from home was an amazing experience but I was ready to come home. The welcome home by my family and my boyfriend was much appreciated. I was so happy to see them after much anticipation on the long journey home. I am not much of a cold weather person but I was over joyed when the plane finally landed in Ohio.

The one thing I did not like about traveling for such an extended period of time, is that I started to get SO TIRED of eating out and spending so much money on food!! The days after the trip I ended up catching up on my sleep. Since I did not complete all of my Christmas shopping while in England since everything was so expensive. When looking at the prices of things it was nice not to have to think about the conversion and if I was really getting a good deal. Over all the trip was amazing and a worth while experience that I would probably never get if I had not taken this course.

A big Thank you to all who planned the trip and to my classmates for a wonderful and memorable experience!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Home, Sweet Home

Well, we've been home now for 3 days, and had plenty of time to unpack, do laundry and get back to the normal grind of things. For me, this was a very welcome thing. 2 weeks away from home and my normal schedule teeters on the edge of being too long! The trip was absolutely AMAZING, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but landing on the snowy runway in Columbus was something that I never imagined that I'd appreciate so much!
My Mom and brother greeted me at the airport, and then took me back to my apartment for a homecooked meal! LOVED IT! One thing about traveling for such an extended period of time, is that I started to get SO TIRED of eating out and spending so much money on food!! Yoga was also re-introduced into my routine on Wednesday morning...and after 2 weeks without it, it was completely refreshing and mentally relieving!
Thank you to all of the professors and all of my travel buddies! It was a memorable experience...welcome home! Happy Holidays!

French Lesson

Ok so earlier on the trip Kaylin gave a British vocabulary lesson so I am going to give you a sample of the vocabulary we learned while in Paris.

Entree = entrance
Sortie = exit
Mercie = thank you
Publique = public
Wi = yes
Toilettes = toilet
Escargot = snails

Goodbye England!

It is our last night in England. I am sad to be leaving but more excitied to be going home finally. It has been an amazing journey and I have learned so much about myself. I have learned that I can do things on my own...like navigate a large city and a subway system! More important I have learned how important the people I love in my life and love me back for who I am are to me. I am so blessed to have been able to go on this journey but even more blessed to have family and my amazing fiance to go home to.

Today we went to St. Paul's Cathedral. It was a great way to close out our trip. Even though it was yet another church it was beautiful. We climbed to the top and it was so rewarding! The view was amazing and I was so proud of myself for braving those narrow spaces and spiral staircases! I think it showed how far I have come on this trip becasue that is not something I would have done before now.

Home tomorrow to all the snow and bitter cold...and I won't even mind because I will be home :)

Walking in the path of a Princess

Well, today was our final day in London. The morning was ours...so many of us chose to sleep in after the busy traveling Parisian day we had yesterday. Woke up for my last UK morning run, and it was an adventure!...and super chilly. After a shower and some breakfast, our little group set out for our final tour. This was of, yet another church. St. Paul's cathedral is BY FAR my favorite! It's the cathedral in which Princess Diana and Prince Charles exchanged vows in 1981. It was so awesome to see the aisle that she walked down, with her huge train!! AFter the tour of the church, a small group of us decided to climb the 500 some stairs to the tippy top, for some WONDERFUL pictures. The view was priceless. I am so privileged to have had the opportunity to travel and experience so much history and beauty.

After the tour, some of us stayed in the area of the cathedral to shop and mill about. It is SUCH a neat area!! I'm so bummed that we didn't discover it before now! Oh well, that's how it goes! TIme for a final dinner as a group, then to bed...O-H-I-O, here we come :)

Wow! What a climb!

The group of us decided to make the climb up the 528 stairs to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral. This picture was taken on the second level. We did a total of 1056 stairs today, what a work out. We all made it to the top with the support of each other. 10 students and one professor.

Yesterday we had an adventure in Paris. What a trip, up at 7am and back at the hotel by 11pm. We walked the city all day and a few of the major tourist attractions. I would have to say may favorite part of our trip to Paris was being able to see the Effiel Tower. We were able to see it at night which made it that much more exciting because it was all light up.

We will be headed to the airport in 18 hours. I am ready to be back in the states. I have enjoyed my time here but ready to see all of my family and friends as well as my personal belongings. I am glad I decided to make the trip across the pond. I have had the opportunity to see many sights that I would not have gotten the chance to see if I had made this trip on my own.

Where did the time go?

So. Where to start? It's a little bit hard to believe that as I'm typing this, I'll be on my way home in less than one day! As amazing as this trip has been I think home sounds pretty good right about now.

The past few days in England have been great, visiting museums (Natural History Museum and British Museum), seeing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, watching The Nutcracker and other very wonderful amazing things. I have to admit, that while we were at The Nutcracker I spent some of that time thinking about how much my life has changed in the past year, because my grandmother used to take my brother and I to see productions of both The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol in Columbus when I was little. The museums are amazing partly in that they're free! The part of the Natural History Museum that I saw, though factual was designed to also be interesting to children including interactive aspects.

Yesterday and our day trip to Paris was amazing! We got to see so much of the city by walking and using their Metro (subway) some. It was great to get a chance to go see another country in addition to the one we've been staying in for two weeks now. It was kind of really cool to think that we had a short train trip from London to Paris, and that we got to see as much as we did in Paris. Our trip to Paris was a very brisk tour, more of a flavor for things we may like to one day come back and visit. I think, coming from the United States where our country is so big it is a bit of a shock to be in Europe. Granted from my house in Ohio I can be in Canada in less than four hours, but in the time we would travel from one state to another or two away from home we were traveling from country to country! Still somewhat amazing to me. Additionally, one REALLY nice thing about Paris was that though I barely understood any of the language when speaking to Parisians, the cars drive on the road in the same way that we use in the United States! Made crossing the street really easy in that for the first time in two weeks I didn't have to force myself to look the opposite direction from what I am used to at home.

Goodbye England

The past few days have been amazing. I have seen so many sites that most people are not able to see during their lifetimes, let alone in one trip! Some of my favorite tours from the entire trip have actually been at the end. On Friday we were able to see the Nutcracker. This was something that I have always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity to see. It was lovely, as I would have expected it to be, and it was a great way to get me in the Christmas spirit.

Another site I was able to see was the changing of the guard. We arrived an hour and a 40 minutes before the start of the show and had fabulous seats. We were able to get right up next to the gate. For the entire time we were there, we did not budge, for if we moved even just a little bit we would have lost our spots. Even though it was frustrating having people pushing and shoving, I am so glad I was able to see this. Everything that a Brit does is so formal and traditional, and I thought it was honorable to see that this was one tradition that they have kept up all these years.

After seeing the changing of the guards, we traveled to the British museum. It was amazing to see all of the collections from ancient Rome and ancient Greece, to the Americas, and more. There were collections from all over the world in this museum. I even saw the Rosetta Stone. Again how many people can say they saw all these things, let alone within a few days of each other. It was absolutely amazing.

My absolute favorite part of the trip, would have to be seeing the city of lights, Paris. I have always wanted to see this city, and I feel so lucky to have seen it on this trip, even if it was just for a day. This city is so personable and romantic, everywhere you looked you could see someone laughing, smiling or being affectionate toward a loved one. Here one can see that they truly cherish every moment. The bread was also amazing. We saw people walking around just eating a loaf of bread, and after tasting it, I can see why. The city is absolutely beautiful. I loved all of the architecture and all of the flowers that were found throughout the city. This will definitely be a place that I will visit again.

Although our trip is coming to an end, I am blessed to have seen so many wonderful and historical sites. I am happy to be returning home to see my family and loved ones. A trip to another destination, really opens your eyes to the lifestyle of different people and cultures. I feel lucky to have to things that I have and to have the opportunity to see other sites. My first trip abroad has made me grow as a person and has taught me more about people. There are some who are willing to open their hearts to complete strangers and lend a helping hand, and there and others who are cold and rude and couldn't give another their time of time. This trip has made it clear who I want to be in life and has showed me the lifestyle I want to live. I am blessed to have had this wonderful opportunity.

Rachael

Hello World!

It's been awhile since I have posted so lots to catch up on!

On Thursday, we went to Dover and Canterbury. Dover is one of my favorite things we have done so far. The castle is exactly what I picture when I think of a castle, it was beautiful and the views were amazing. It had so much history as well including its involvement in WWII. I stuck my hand in the English Channel too...it was so cold!

That night the riots occurred in Parliament Square. The students were protesting a rise in the cap price that universities can put on tuition from 3,000 to 9,000 pounds which is about $14,000 in the US...wouldn't we all love our tuition to only be $14,000 at Otterbein!

I got to see my Swedish friend Jenny who lived with me last year!! It was so good to

see h er and gave me a little touch of home to see her and get refreshed to make it through these last few days in London. We had a wonderful time going around with her friend Sarah who lives in London for school and I got a taste of London that most others don't get so it was very nice. We shopped of course because that's what we do best!

Yesturday we went to Paris! It was a whirlwind but it was still amazing just the same. We walked everywhere taking the Metro (their subway system) a few times to help us along. We saw Bastille, Norte Dame, de Louvre art museum, the Effiel Tower (which was amazing!), and the Arc de' Triump. (Sorry my spelling is all off, I speak Spanish not French). It was a great day overall and it flew by so we were exhausted. I did find it interesting how intimidated I was to be in a country that I didn't speak the language. I thought I would be able to figure it out...nope, if we wouldn't have had our guide or I got lost, I'd be sunk for sure!

Last day in London

Bonjour!

Time has flown by so fast and I cannot believe I am going home tomorrow. I have seen so many wonderful things, and I have made memories that will last for a lifetime. This trip only makes me want to travel more, I have many places I want to visit (Greece, Germany, Italy...)

Yesterday we went to Paris, it started bright and early at 7 am. Paris is a beautiful city, full of great shopping, food and entertainment. I would recommend getting the chocolate and banana crepe, it was amazing. Our tour guide took us all over the city. I was surprised when I realized Paris is not that big of a city. It is only 3 miles in length and width. However we were not able to cover all of the city, but we covered most of it. Seeing the Eiffel Tower was by far the best thing on the tour. It made me feel like I was in Paris. It was magnificent, we got to see it at night so all of the sparkling lights were on. I wanted to go up it, but unfortunately we did not have time because it takes over and hour and a half to go up it. Maybe I'll be able to go up it next time I come.

The only thing I did not like about Paris was the subways. They were disgusting, and they smelled like urine (gross!) Apparently they are not allowed to have advertisements anywhere, so they spray graffiti everywhere (its on trains, statues, walls, cars, windows). Overall, it was a wonderful day and I am very happy I had the opportunity to see Paris.

Cheers,

Aarika

Paris in less than 8 hours

Today we had the great pleasure of traveling to the City of Lights; Paris, France. Luckily it was my second opportunity to go to the city. I had gone back in high school with my French class.

We got to see all the sights that make this city famous. The Louvre, Arc de Triumph, Chanse el Elysee, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower to name a few. We walked so much today that my new boots I bought in England broke. The bottom part of my left boots is falling off. Looks like I need some super glue ASAP! We also got very close in the metro again today. Like Rachael said it was like herding cattle. MOOOOO!!!!

I loved being able to visit the city again, especially to see the inside of Notre Damn since I wasn't able to see it last time, but I wished I would of been able to savor the moment more and go see the inside of the Louvre again. Other than that it was a great break from the London streets.

Free Time in London!

For most of yesterday and today I got to wonder around London with some friends doing anything we want. It was a great to just have no plans that required us to constantly watch our watches to know the time for once. Even more nice than that was getting to sleep in two days in a row, a first for this trip. Yesterday I went and saw London Bridge which wasn't nearly as exciting and amazing as I thought it would be, it looked like just another random bridge, but I took some pictures anyway. Next we returned to Westminster so we could see the devastation that was left over from the riots the nights before. There wasn't really any definite signs that there had been a riot because they had been cleaning the area up for hours by the time we got there. However, we could see where they had been washing the graffiti off among other things. We also wondered over to the Natural History museum. That was interesting but it wasn't what I expected. They did have some interesting hands on attractions so I ended up spending a lot of time there.
Today we went over to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard. We couldn't see much even though we were right in the front because this one girl kept climbing the fence which was not only annoying but just rude in my opinion. But I did get to see some neat things and I could hear very well which made it slightly easier to follow along since I couldn't see. We made it over to the British Museum and spent probably two hours wondering around. That place was just to big to get to see everything however. We made sure we visited the Rosetta Stone because of it's obvious importance. I also spent quite a bit of time touring the Greek, Roman and Egyptian areas because those are my passions and Aarika was nice enough to tag along with me. I studied four years of Latin in high school so it was so amazing for me to get to see so many actual artifacts from that time in real life. Next we met up with some other friends for a late lunch at a pub. Fabulous food and even better friends just made the day end perfectly with so much fun!

Trying new adventures

Today was another wonderful day; however, it was very tiring. I am so exhausted from the last two weeks of running around and not stopping. I think it has finally caught up with me, but I am thankful for all of the exercise because my legs are in great shape.

Alicia and I were coming back from the museum and we saw the bicycles you can rent that are sponsored by Barley's. Alicia had this great idea to rent them for an hour (they only cost 1 pound). I thought we should at least try them, but I was a little hesitant because number one I was not sure where we could ride them and number two I figured we could get hit by a car or possible crash because of all of the uneven roads. Alicia and I decided to do rock paper scissors to make our decision for us. If Alicia won we would go and if I won we wouldn't. Well it turned out I won and we did not go. I think it was a good decision because the path we were going to take was closed because a truck ran into a building on the sidewalk. Maybe we will try again on Monday when we get back from Paris.

Before the bicycle incident we went to the changing of the guards, it was a great experience. I would not recommend going if your very claustrophobic though. I was crammed into the gate by twenty people and I couldn't really see anything because there was this girl standing on top of the ledge that holds the bars in place. Even though that happened I still enjoyed it, I don't think I would ever make it as a guard because they have to stay in one place for a very long time. I was very honored to see that take place and I will always remember it. The marching band was incredible.

After the changing of the guards we went to the British museum. It was enormous and beautiful. There was so many things to look at, but my favorite would be the Ancient Egyptian part. Some of the artifacts dated back to 500 B.C.

I cannot believe this trip is coming to an end. I have many pictures and memories to share with my family and friends when I get home. We are heading to Paris tomorrow and I am looking forward to the Eiffel tower, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be open and the weather will corporate.

Cheerio!
Aarika

Whirlwind

What a whirlwind!! It's been a busy few days. Today was the first "free day" that we've had...so we all set out in groups to explore London freely. My group headed to Harrods...SO posh and expensive!!..maybe I can afford it when I'm a rich nurse ;) Anyway, my favorite part of that store was the windows...they were so intricately decorated and the displays were amazing!!

Next, Danielle and I headed on foot towards Whole Foods...walking for a total time of 3 hours throughout the day! We stopped for lunch at Whole Foods and shopped a bit. It was super rewarding! The Nutcracker was amazing!! It makes me want to be a ballerina...so so graceful. And the men in tights were a nice perk too!! ;)

Tomorrow we're on our own again. I think a lot of us are going to go watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace..and try to get the guards to move!! I'm also doing my running tour tomorrow, which will be super fun! Time to rest up!!

Cheers!

Abbey Road, Harrods and more...

Visiting this unassuming white house made one of our group extremely happy today. She was walking on air as she crossed the street in the very same place where the Beatles did for their famous album cover.

As for this material girl, I was

equally as happy to visit Harrods, the mecca of shopping. A very big thanks goes to our expert shopper of the group that served as our guide. She smoothly lead us through all 5 floors in 45 mins with barely a price tag left unturned!!

Another Update from England!

Hello again! I'm really bad at trying to post on this regularly! :( Hopefully I'll do better in the few days that we have left in England.

It's been an interesting few days! London is pretty great all in all. There are some things I would change but I think you'll have that anywhere. So I can't complain all too much.

I’ll recap the week in London so far since this is my first post about things we’ve been able to do in London. The bus tour of London we had was really cool, lots to see (unfortunately I was on a bit of cold medication so I was fighting off sleep during the bus tour). The Tower of London was really cool, especially getting to see the Crown jewels and the Beefeater tour (hard to decide what my favorite part really was). Westminster Abbey was interesting but a somewhat long tour. The London Eye was a great experience and I enjoyed it a lot regardless of my fear of heights. Getting to see Parliament was interesting, security was pretty tight and we did not get to see the House of Commons. It’s a good thing we got to go to Parliament on Wednesday and not on Thursday because of the protests that turned into riots near Parliament and closed the Westminster Underground station.

Back to talking about London and all of the cool stuff we've been able to do. Visiting Great Ormond Street Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital was kind of cool. I liked the little tour we were able to go on of two units at St. Thomas' and when a few of us walked over to Evelina Children's Hospital (at St Thomas') and looked around the ground floor lobby. I enjoyed the production of War Horse, and getting to go to the symphony was interesting - particularly how animated the conductor was. We were seated in the choir stalls and were able to see the conductor's expressions and mannerisms, which is something we never would have seen sitting in the general audience.

So. I've decided I'm a fan of the Underground. I didn't know what to think about it at first, but the more we've used it the more I've decided I like the subway. Maybe that's just because it's a novelty to me, someone who's lived in central Ohio my whole life, that the subway is a new experience for me. I think maybe it has more to do with the convenience of using the Underground. There are so many stations, it seems like there are very few places that are more than a few block's walk away from one or several Underground stations. I think it just makes so much sense! From the Underground you can go almost anywhere in London, and the Underground trains run to several national rail stations as well as to the terminals at Heathrow! It is awful busy at peak times, which can make getting a big group of people on the same train a bit of an issue. But other than that, it works so well. Maybe not so well for people who are claustrophobic, but I like it. Though it's cool and convenient, it's also kind of weird, that the trains are so far below the surface of the ground. Even though the trains run so far below ground you can hear the trains running on the line that runs below our hotel.

More later. :)

Beautiful views

Despite the freezing cold weather, England does have some gorgeous views. Here, they have some of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. Today we went to Dover Castle, which overlooks the English Channel. One may know this location for the cliffs of Dover, which are made of beautiful, white limestone. The views from here are absolutely breathtaking. We climbed to the top of the tower of the castle, where we able to see for miles! Across the channel, we could see the coastline of France, which was useful to them in order to oversee their attackers. We also were able to see the beautiful, green countryside. The castle overlooked the town which was so quaint and charming. We went on the most beautiful of days. The sun was shining down upon me and there were barely any clouds in the sky, which seems as a rarity here. We definitely don't see sites like these back home.

As I say with most days, today was a great day! I loved Dover Castle and the cliffs of Dover. It was rich with history and beauty, dating back to the 11th century. I felt as if I could spend the whole day exploring the castle and the magnificent grounds. There are hiking trails that run for miles along the coast. We had the pleasure of spending a few minutes along the coast line where we were able to dip our feet in the English Channel, if those were brave enough to bear the freezing water. As said before today was definitely a delight and I hope to one day return and explore this wonderful gem, perhaps on a warmer day.

Today's sights

Above is a photo taken standing on the beach at Dover. On top of the hill is Dover Castle. On the right are the magnificent Cliffs of Dover. We had a beautiful (but windy day). Some of us even dipped their toes in the English Channel.
It was great to get away from the City for a day and wonderful to walk along the water. We did not know about the events in London and it took us longer than expected to get back. We arrived safe and sound. However, it was sad to see people had been hurt and the vandelism that took place.

Castles, and Cliffs, and the English Channel...oh my!

So today we went to Dover Castle and the Cliffs and also to Canterbury Cathedral. It was a lot of fun. The castle was amazing, and the architecture of the cathedral was beautiful. I'm always amazed to see the unique designs between the cathedrals we have been to and the aspects that they chose to accentuate or focus on. The stained glass windows seems to be a commonality among them all and they for the most part have had some damage as a result of past wars. We also got to go down to the English Channel and put our feet in the water. Brrr!!! It was a wonderful day and I am happy to be able to add this to my list of places to have seen!


Expand your British vocabulary!

Bonnet=hood of the car
Blowy=windy
Slippy=slippery or slick
Rubbish=trash/garbage
Boot= trunk of the car
Lou=bathroom
Cheerio=thanks/goodbye
Lovely=wonderful/thank you
Mind= watch out/duck

Dover Castle

We visited the castle in Dover today. I was very excited about this because this was a very strategic placement for the British in World War II. The rescue from Dunkirk occurred there, which is one of my favorite stories of WWII. I also couldn't wait to see the tunnels where the hospital was and where the people patrolled looking for enemy ships. Unfortunately, the tunnels were closed today because of renovation. The castle was still pretty cool to see I guess. They had a lot of period pieces in place and we got to tour the majority of the castle. We were even lucky enough to get to go up into one of the towers and look around. The view was spectacular. We were able to see the edge of France because it was such a clear day and sun was shinning for once, apparently that view isn't very common so that's pretty lucky for us. The best part of today for me though was getting to set my feet in the English Channel, even though it was only for like 2 maybe 3 seconds :) But at least I can say that I've done it and that's the important thing. We also saw Canterbury Cathedral, which was beautiful. It also had some great stories that went along with it. Well that's it for now, I'll see all you wonderful people soon, less than a week to go now!

Alicia

Five days left in England....Time is going by so fast

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to tour/visit the St. Thomas Hospital. It was a great experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. I found it very interesting that our health care systems are so different and they both have there pros and cons.

I cannot believe how big of an icon Florence Nightingale is to the country. She is my role model and I hope one day I will be like her. I love how she was so independent and self sufficient. She did not rely on anyone but herself and I admire her for that. Her actions were very bold and she did and said whatever she believed in and she did not let anyone crush her dreams. She kept pushing her parents to allow her to become a nurse even though they told her a million times she could not. I believe if you have a strong will and dedication you can do anything you put your mind to and this is why I want to be a great nurse. I Think being a great nurse will only help patients and the health care system better.

Until next time cheerio,

Aarika

Television in the UK and other stuff

After having an early night tonight, my roommate (Rachael) and I were flipping through the channels to see what was on. We have concluded that there are 3 types of television in the UK. They are reality TV, the news, and sports/football (aka soccer).

We have also seen that if it snows 1 inch they have no idea what to do! Schools have to be closed,

airports have to be closed, and people don't know how to drive! It's funny to think that because that is just a dusting.

Finally they love their football!!! When they didn't get the location for the next 2012 FIFA World Cup they were outraged!!! They kept discussing on every channel on how the other countries purposely didn't want them to host it and they did everything they could and don't understand because Russia, who won, shouldn't have!

Another Day in England

Had a good time today but ready to go home.

Our visit to parliament was very informational but we were unable to see the house of commons due to there being a meeting in progress. The rooms were very colorful and very detailed in the artwork.

Our next stop of the day was to St. Thomas Hospital where we had the opportunity to talk to a few of the nurses about how public health care works. After talking with the nurses we were able to take a small tour of a two of the units which are set up very different than those of the US. I was also lucky enough to be able to see the Accident and Emergency Center (the US ED) and how they operate.

It was nice to get done with our activities that were scheduled earlier than we have been as I needed this time to relax and have the change to catch up on my rest. A big day planned for tomorrow, a visit to Dover and Canterbury.

London!

How crazy the last few days have been!!

The London Eye was amazing! It was so awesome to be up there I truly felt blessed to be there and for this opportunity. I also loveeee my camera for the awesome pictures it is taking and took up there at the top of all of London!

We visited St. Thomas hospital today and it was such an eye-opening experience. I learned so much about the NHS and I still believe we are so lucky to have what we have in the US. We talked with nurses from the hosptial and most of them had a background in cardiac which was great for me--I took about 8 pages of notes for my project.

We are having a great time but most of us are feeling that we are ready to go home, it's been a rough journey though fun. 6 more days til we're home, but until then we have more stuff to come. Off to Dover and Canterbury tomorrow!

St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Today we visited St Thomas Hospital in London. The facility is one of the busiest of the National Health Service (NHS). They treat about 900,000 patients a year. St Thomas' is a well known teaching hospital. We were privileged to meet the Site Nurse Practitioner and 7 members of the nursing staff. Each outlined their roles and explained the services their specialties provide. A CNS from Gynecology and Oncology discussed cancer treatments. A CNS from Adult Congenital services explained the expanding services now offered to her patient population. We also heard a Cardiac Liaison, a Diabetic Specialist Nurse, a Chest pain Specialist and two Nurses from the Cardiac Research/TAVI (aortic valve replacement) unit who showed us a new type of heart valve they are using. We also toured two Cardiovascular wards. We appreciated their taking time from their busy schedules to meet with us. They gave us a unique personal look at the NHS.

I Have My Eye On You!

Yesterday we got to see and ride on the London Eye! It was so cool! I am not a fan of the ferris wheel, so I wasn't sure how I would do on something that looks a lot like one. It wasn't anything like it though. You can barely tell that it is even moving, not to mention the absolutely breathtaking sights from the window. It is a completely enclosed, glass bullet shaped encasement that takes almost an hour to go around. At night time they have the eye lit up with blue lights, so although they don't run it at night we could at least enjoy seeing the attraction in the dark. The eye also sits above the water too!


The second picture is of the Big Ben, Parliament, and the adjoining buildings as seen from the London Eye. It was absolutely amazing to see this view as the sun was setting and from above.


Today, we went to St Thomas Hospital to meet with multiple nurses mostly specializing in Cardiology, as well as one specializing in diabetes, and another in GYN oncology. It was really neat to hear about what they are doing in Britain and to be able to compare it with the US health care system. I also had the opportunity to tour the Accident and Emergency Center (equivalent of our Emergency Room) and also the Urgent Care Center. I am doing a research paper comparing the services offered in both Britain and the US as well as in relation to the British walk-in centers and the Minute Clinics in the US. This was a wonderful opportunity to see how the public health care system works. We also went to the chapel where we saw some beautiful paintings as well as a carving/sculpture of Florence Nightingale.

My passion for nursing

Today we had an eventful day with a visit to Westminster Abbey, the Florence Nightingale Museum, the London Eye, and finally we finished our day with a wonderful performance by the philharmonic symphony orchestra performing pieces by Beethoven, Haydn, and Strauss. It was a lovely day.
Throughout the day, I was reminded of my passion for nursing. I am proud to say that I am training to be in this profession, and am excited to enter this wonderful field. At Westminster Abbey, we were able to see the private nurse's chapel that was constructed after WWII to honor the nurses who cared for and treated wounded soldiers. There was a beautiful stained glass window that displayed a nurse with large hands, symbolizing a nurses care and devotion to the care for the ill and wounded. When I saw this, I felt like I could sincerely relate. I was so moved by this image and felt such a strong urge to help others as previous nurses have before me.
After we were able to attend the beautiful and magnificent Abbey, we also had the opportunity to visit the Florence Nightingale Museum. Again I am honored to be joining a profession that has had such wonderful, powerful, and strong women. Learning of Florence's life and accomplishments has made me desire to follow in her footsteps. Throughout the museum were magazine covers from the past displaying the profession of nursing. These pictures were beautiful and again made me proud and honored to be entering this wonderful and selfless profession. They say that men and women from around this world are called into the profession, saying that they know this is their destiny and duty in life to help others. I feel that this too is my calling to be a nurse, and today this feeling was strengthened even more after seeing the beautiful chapel and the museum dedicated to a wonderful woman.
Tomorrow we are off to Parliament and to St. Thomas Hospital. : )

Encounter with the Police :)

While traveling from Stratford to London we stopped in Bath to look at the street market and the roman baths. A few of us saw the police officers and thought it would be a good idea to get a picture with them, so I got the courage and asked...success.

The view of the city of Bath in the back ground. Vince, our coach driver was nice enough to stop and let us out to take pictures over looking the city. He gave us the idea to take this picture so he joined in on the fun. Very nice man and funny man, what a great way to start the trip.

City tour

Today we had the pleasure of getting a bus tour of the city of London! It was great to see everything but I will admit I'm still a little loss! But the underground is so easy to use that I'm sure I'll figure out where to go for shopping!!!
The tower of London was interesting as it wasn't what I expected! I thought it was just a tower but it is made up of 30 some towers and made to be a palace an not a jail!
We also got to see our second play, -33 ! It was soooooo good, tearful but so good!!! The "special effects" were excellent and I'm so glad we got to see it! I'm hoping to go see another show on our free day since there are so many to choose from!

A gray but event packed day in London. We took a bus tour of the city and visited the Tower of London. Evening began with dinner in the theater district and then we saw Warhorse. Never a dull moment.

Hey everyone! Today I had the opportunity to go to the Roman Bathes and Stonehenge. Both of those sites were absolutely breathtaking. The architecture is probably my favorite part about being in England. Its so big, and each building is different in design. At the Roman Bathes we were able to tour the different rooms, bathe, and even taste the water (of course it had been filtered), but I can't say that it was my favorite. It was pretty hot water. We also saw the abbey and heard the bells (absolutely beautiful) and then walked through the Christmas market. It was a lot of fun to be able to see the area. Next was Stonehenge. Oh my gosh! It is remarkable to see something so massive up close. It was amazing. Finally, we hopped on the bus and went to LONDON. We will be in London for the remainder of the trip.

*This picture oversees the landscape of Bathe.

Stonehenge!!!!

So I finally got to see the site that I have been the most looking forward to since we got here in this wonderful country, Stonehenge! We got to walk up very close to them but not as close as I would have liked of course. :) There was another path that circled around the whole of the design so we would have been able to see multiple sides to the ancient ruins, but that was closed, probably because of the weather. As much as I love winter, cold and snow it's starting to get on my nerves when it keeps taking away things that I want to do. But oh well, I still got some fabulous pictures of the stones and me with the stones, only because Aarika was fabulous enough to let me use her camera. What happened to my camera you ask? Oh yeah, I left it on the bus and didn't realize it until it was to late. Life goes on I suppose and I was still able to leave with some wonderful photos and memories.

Til next time,

Alicia

More from England!

We're now in London! Kind of hard to believe time is going by so quickly but it's been an amazing experience. Hope things are well for those of you reading this.

It's been a while since I was able to get on and post a blog...let me just say this week has been full of technological issues for me. My adapter stopped working, and then after I resolved that matter my computer refused to connect to the Internet at our hotel in Stratford...it takes me too long to write a blog to have done so while borrowing other people's computers to write blogs. Regardless my computer now works with the WiFi in the hotel in London so we're good.

Alrighty. We've been really busy - visited with NHS district nurses, visited Shakespeare's grave, Shakespeare's birthplace, Anne Hathaway's cottage, Kenilworth Castle, Warwick Castle, Coventry Cathedral, Embley (one of Florence Nightingale's homes), Florence Nightingale's grave, Christ Church College at Oxford University and done many other interesting and exciting things. Today we visited Bath and Stonehenge before driving to London.

I have really enjoyed so many aspects of this trip. It was really kind of cool to be able to visit Christ Church College at Oxford, especially with parts of the Harry Potter movies having been filmed there. I also really enjoyed visiting Warwick Castle, that was somewhat amazing when I thought about how long ago work on that castle began. I had a similar feeling today when we were at the Roman Baths in Bath - that some of those structures were built as early as 75 AD is amazing to me. I suppose a better example of this is Stonehenge, considering the sheer amount of time that those gigantic rocks have been there and how long it took to build Stonehenge.

Photos and information soon!

Finally in London!

We have finally arrived in London and it is everything I have dreamed of. Bright lights, cute boys and great food. We saw the Roman Baths and Stonehenge today and it was an amazing experience. I have always dreamed of seeing these great wonders of the world. When I was taking an art and history class last year we studied Stonehenge. I was so interested in the history of it, I was always asking questions about it to my professor. I think she got quite sick of me, but I am glad I did because I knew so many things about the sacred ground. I never thought I would have the opportunity to actually see them, but fortunately I was standing in front of the stones today. Apparently the stones have a burst of energy. When we were at Stonehenge I felt a surge of energy while I was there, my hands and feet started to tingle. The Baths were beautiful and magnificent. I wanted to go swimming in the hot spring, but they said the water was filthy and birds defecate in there. Overall it was a great day and I will never forget it!

Until then,

Cheerio!

Aarika

Rain Rain, Go Away!

Well...it was a rainy day here in England. Blech! It was a very long, and very wet day...jam packed with lots of things. I started off bright and early with a nice run in the streets surrounding our hotel in Stratford (all well lit, of course). This was the second morning that I ran, and this town is absolutely stunning to run around and explore! Picturesque. I love it.
Touring started early with Florence Nightingale's grave, her home in Embley (which were a two and a half hour bus ride away), then back onto the bus and to Oxford...which was FABULOUS. And wet. And BUSY BUSY BUSY! I could not believe the amount of people! Our little tour guide whizzed us around the streets of Oxford, teaching us about the different colleges and the history of the town. It was fascinating! The best part was standing in the hall that was the model for the dining room in HARRY POTTER! Amazing. After seeing all of the sites in Oxford, we did some serious power shopping (20 minutes worth), then back onto the bus for the hour ride back to the hotel. Then it was time for Matilda. This musical was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I felt like a little kid!! I absolutely loved it :) The actors were amazing....I definately need to make it a point to start going to more shows back home!
Tomorrow is another busy day, and we all definately need a good night's rest. We leave in the morning, stop at Bath and Stonehenge...then arrive in LONDON around dinner time.
Cheers!!

My family name!!!

Kylie Daniel
Otterbein '12
Vice President of Tau Epsilon Mu
Summer Coordinator Orientation '10
Major: Nursing
Minors: Religion and Life Science
Nicol is my mom's madden name! I was quite excited!!!

My first blog in England

The past few days have been amazing. I can honestly say this has been one of the best trips of my life! I have seen so many wonderful sites and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be here. If we were to leave tomorrow I would be completely satisfied because it has been wonderful.
We have already been to so many sites. My favorite so far have been the Coventry cathedral and Warwick castle. Coventry was a site that almost brought me to tears. I knew little about this site, but it was a church that was centuries old that was bombed during the battle of blitz, which resulted in 600 deaths. Instead of seeking vengeance, the church and town asked the God simply for forgiveness. Not only of their enemy but also of themselves. From the rubble they constructed a wooden cross from two stakes. They took some of the nails that had fallen from the ceiling and welded them into a cross, which the clergy wear around their necks to symbolize the remembrance of the bombings at Coventry.
The church itself is a beautiful site. Inside, a tapestry made in France, hangs from floor to ceiling. The tapestry is beautiful and elaborate in detail. It is one of the largest tapestries constructed in the world. It has beautiful stained glass windows that run from the floor to the ceiling. Inside, there was a peaceful and a calm feeling that surrounded me. I felt safe and connected to the world. This site reminded me of 9/11. We too faced many losses but from the attack we became a stronger and closer nation.
With all of these beautiful sites, we are also off tomorrow to see more amazing sites. Tomorrow we are going to Embeley, one of the homes of Florence Nightingale, Oxford University, and Christ Church College at Oxford, the site for the filming of Harry Potter. I am so excited.
Talk to you soon,
Rachael

It's like a story book!!

These past few days have been amazing! I feel like I am in a story book with all the buildings around me. It is utterly beautiful and I honestly could live here!!! And I'm not joking! And I'm in love with tea with brown sugar!!! Yummmy!!!
Meeting with the district nurses was so interesting to see how they do things and how their education is. Also see where the great writer, Shakespeare, lived was amazing! These places aren't in America, but then again we are a young country compared to England.
The castles was breath taking as I felt like a real princess walking those grounds. Something almost every little girl dreams of when she is growing up. I just can't believe people actually lived there and these are real places and not just built for tourists! :) I'm pretty upset the towers were closed due to weather. I was looking forward to that. :(
Our lovely coach driver, Vince, is cracking me up! Even though we are fighting on who gets to wear my hats I believe we shall be great mates before this trip is through.
The shopping has been amazing and I've done some serious damage but then again when am I going to be across the pond again? It's also letting me make my accent better. For those on the trip you should have heard it by now! I'm getting to be quite the expert! ;)
Also Coventry Cathedral was beyond words one of the most beautiful places I've ever been too! The contrast between the old and the new was amazing! Too bad it was too slick for us to walk inside the ruins.
I can't wait till we get to see where Harry Potter was filmed tomorrow!!! I'm a huge HP fan!!!
Well long day ahead of us tomorrow so I shall get some rest and blog another time!
Cheers!
Kylie

Fire, Fire.....

Thankfully everyone is safe from the fire alarm last night. It went off at 12:00 in the morning, what a nice wake up call for everyone. We all had to evacuate the h0tel and we made the best of the freezing cold weather by cuddling and singing Christmas carols. It ended up being that someone poured hot water down the frozen, maybe they shouldn't keep the bathrooms so cold that everything freezes up. We all are having way too much fun together and we making all the moments count. I have not had this much fun in a long time. I can't wait to see Florence Nightingale's house tomorrow, she is my idol :)
Till next time,
Cheerio!
Aarika

Coventry Cathedral

The unique and overwhelming words "Father Forgive" were inscribed on a remaining wall of the Coventry cathedral after the bombing in November of 1940. Such a magnanimous lesson for the world. Provost Howard did not ask for the forgiveness of Britain's enemies, but for us all. Howard used Jesus' words in recognition of us all being sinners and falling short of perfection. What a timeless message for the world. The Litany of Reconcilation is a prayer said each day Monday thru Friday. If it had not been -3 degrees celsius, the service would have been in the ruins of the old cathedral today. Instead it was held in the "new Cathedral" . It was a powerful and moving service that I will not soon forget. It challenges us to forgive others as we wish to be forgiven.

Freezing but having fun!!

Although the last few days have been rather cold I have enjoyed my visit here and am happy about making the decision to come on this wonderful trip with my classmates. We have all gotten a lot closer over the last few days.

We have visited many places so far on our trip in just 3 days but I would have to say that today has been my favorite so far. We visited two castles and the cathedral today. The Coventry Cathedral was very beautiful place and I was able to get a lot of pictures. The snow and cold temperatures did not stop us from having a good time on our outings for the day.

Tonight we are going to have dinner at the dirty duck pub (fish and chips....yummy) with our driver and just enjoy the company of one another.

Hello from Stratford!!

This journey has been amazing so far. We have seen so many amazing things that I could have only dreamed of. All of the touring today really opened my eyes to how many beautiful things there are here and how blessed I am to be here with wonderful people. I do miss back home more than I can say, but I am so glad that I took this trip.

Yesturday we met with the district nurses. It was a great experience and an inside perspective on the NHS here. It was eye-opening for what we are going towards back home. Not to get political, but I am scared of what is to come for us. The government will control everything; we as nurses have no power to advocate for our patients what so ever. I think what really hit me was their uniforms and all of the paperwork. Yes, we all wear what ever color scrubs the hosptials ask us to....but they are not what the government tells us to wear. To have a NHS lanyard around your neck for your badge, instead of a Riverside or OSU one, is scary to me. Ok, off my soap box..but just something I observed.

Otherwise, touring yesturday and today have been great. The castles were amazing to see and took my breath away. There is so much history that I can feel the people that have passed by there around us. Coventry Cathedral was so moving and beautiful. The lesson of reconciliation is so powerful and it was life changing to be in the actual place where all of that took place.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! (PS, I already have 240 pictures and it's only day 3 and we haven't even been to London yet!!)

Castles, Castles, and More Castles

Today we had the opportunity to visit Kenilworth Castle, Coventry Cathedral, and Warwick Castle. Here are some of the pictures from our adventures. Enjoy the snow on the ground too; it really adds something to the picture.

*Pictures 1-4 are from Warwick Castle,
*Pictures 5-6 are from Kenilworth Castle
*Picture 7 is the ruins from Coventry Cathedral

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!