Morel in London: Beginnings

I'm finally here. London; a place that I have somehow fallen in madly in love with in a matter of a couple days. After suffering through a long and exhausting 8 hour plane ride over the Atlantic, London has greeted me and the rest of my study abroad group with open arms and has cast its majesty upon us. 

After lugging our tired, feeble bodies to our temporary living quarters in Earl's Court, we then received our coveted "Oyster Cards" which granted us unlimited access to the London Tube, their subway system. A creation of true genius and convenience, the Tube had me completely mesmerized, since I had never ridden any type of subway before. It's absolutely incredible being able to travel multiple miles within minutes, a convenience that would be much appreciated back in Arkansas. I had also heard many rumors prior to my arrival in the U.K. that the Tube was very infamous for its tendency to be crowded and filled with rude, angry Britains. I have, however, found this to be completely untrue. Granted, it is rather busy during rush hour, but throughout most of the day it's not horribly crowded at all and I've discovered that it is an incredible location to people-watch. Frankly, I love it. 

Later in the day, we took the Tube to Piccadilly Circus; London's version of Time's Square, albeit with much smaller (and nicer) buildings. We then walked over to Trafalgar Square, another popular tourist location littered with restaurants, shops, and numerous street performers who are properly called "buskers" around here.

Our professor, Shawn Irish, informed us of a very convenient discount-ticket center where we all went and purchased tickets for plays that we each wanted to see. I chose to get a great deal on a ticket to see "The Phantom of the Opera," and excitedly traveled on my own back to the West End of London later that night to see it.

Prior to that, we were tasked as a group to find the London Eye, the National Theatre, and the Globe Theatre. After lots of walking and adventuring, we managed to discover each of the locations and took advantage of the great photo opportunities. We also walked across the Thames River using the famous Millennium Bridge; a very unique and modern bridge that offers amazing views of the surrounding area and the visually stunning St. Paul's Cathedral. 

While the day was absolutely exhilarating and London gave me one hell of a first impression, I was ready to head back to the hostel and crash into bed as soon as "The Phantom of the Opera" was over. On the way to the Tube, I stopped by Piccadilly Square for one more look at it. At night, Piccadilly is even more visually mesmerizing than it is during the day, with the lights of buildings, billboards, and double-decker buses bombarding your eyes like magic. After many more pictures and another lovely ride on the Tube, it was time for me to shower and sleep at last, and sleep I did.