London Day 7

Today was a great day. We started off by going to see the Changing of the Guards. At first we were bummed because we couldn't really see anything, but luckily we found the group. Evan and I made a deal so he put me on his shoulders if I promised to record everything while I was up there. I feel like I had the best view in the house. It was amazing. We hung around for a little while to take pictures and chatted a little bit with a local who said he only came because family was in town visiting and they wanted to see, he had seen it a ton of times when he was a kid.

Sierra and I set off to find the FedEx so that we could ship some things back home. It was really fun because we caught a light blue cab and it only was 4 pounds to get there. The actual shipping was pretty expensive though. Since lunch in the cafeteria had been absolutely horrid that day, I stopped and got some noodles.

A bunch of us decided to go to Westminster Abbey for the service that night and it was absolutely breathtaking. The church was beautiful, and hearing the choir sing sounded like angels. 10/10 would highly recommend. It started pouring down rain after so we all got a little wet, and nobody could decide where they wanted to eat. Of course Court and I decided to go to the Metropolitan because where else would you find us? That's our favorite. Eventually several others from the group came and we all had a great time.

London Day 6

Today was a major sight seeing/exploring day. We went to the Tower of London, Saw the Tower Bridge, and did the London Eye. Tower of London was very cool because that time in history is very interesting to me. It was fun to see the different armor and weapons and learn a little more about it, (like torturing for example.) Then we went to see the Crown Jewels. These was the most beautiful, extravagant, royal things I have ever seen. They literally took my breath away with all of the sparkles. I have never seen jewels so big. While we were waiting in line to see them outside, a giant crow made what I swear sounded like a barking noise at us. (That's important to the day because it was hilarious.) Also, after seeing the jewels Court literally fell over because she thought there was something to lean on and there was nothing there. Again, hilarious.

From here we got some caramelized peanuts and headed toward the Eye. I was a little nervous, because I'm extremely scared of heights, but I tried to keep my cool. The first thing that made me uneasy is that you had to get into the pod while the ferris wheel was still moving. Then I was a little nervous when we started going up but decided I needed to play it cool so I wouldn't get embarrassed but it didn't really work. I noticed that the doors we walked in on said "DO NOT LEAN AGAINST DOORS" and there were people right next to the doors! This was too much for me! I could not deal! These people were making me too nervous. So I started feeling dizzy and lightheaded and my hands were super clammy but I did better than I thought I would. When everyone moved away from the doors I could finally calm down enough to enjoy the views and I'm really glad that I did it, and I'm very proud of myself for not having a complete panic attack.

Day 15 Travel Day 7/3/16

Today the group is traveling to our last stop, Paris!! I am still am not feeling very well but excited to go to Paris. I spent the morning doing homework with Courtney. We took the underground a few stops over and then got to the train station. The train station had lots of places to eat and was really nice. I was exhausted from carrying my bags especially because my whole body felt achy. All of our bags had to go through security and when I went through the metal detector it beeped, so I was searched up and down. Obviously, she didn't find anything so I went on my way! Finally when we board the train, a really cute guy lifted my luggage :) that mad my day!! I slept the whole time on the train. We finally arrived at the university and go settled in our room! They are nice and cozy with their own bathrooms so I am happy! Off to bed because I need the rest.

Travel day to Paris

We woke up this morning and packed everything up to travel on. We had some time between the trips so Sierra and I finished up some homework while we waited. When it finally got time to go we grabbed our bags and headed to the train station. I was so sad to leave London I liked it so much and was finally really getting to know my way around! We made it to the train station and boarded up for the international train we would take to Paris. We grabbed some lunch at the train station and had just enough time to eat it before we boarded. I don't know much about the train ride, I slept and woke up juts in time to get off. After we got off we had to take the metro to the place we are staying at and it was kind of annoying having our suitcases with us but I managed. The metro here is like 10 times more crowded than London was. After we got off our campus was right there, blessed. We got our rooms and Macy, Sierra, and I went off to a cute little french place for some quick dinner and went back to campus to get some sleep! Traveling like that really makes me tired.

Day 14 London 7/2/16

I woke up to girls yelling and slamming doors in our hallway. I was not feeling good and had enough so I went out there to yell at them. Didn't hear a peep after that :) The plan today was to go to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guards. I knew I had to go, so I took a shower and headed out with Macy and Courtney. We didn't leave early so I was thinking we wouldn't be able to see anything. Today I was feeling bold (shoutout to my Dad for that trait), so I pushed through the crowd to the second row behind the gate. It was so cool hearing the band and watching the guards change from black coats to red coats. It is an experience I will never forget!! I got some great pictures with the palace in the background. When we were walking to the underground, there was a Brexit protest on the other side of the street. Then I went back to eat a really bad lunch at the cafeteria. Macy and I got a taxi to the Post Office to ship boxes back. The guys at the post office said people have been shipping stuff like crazy since Brexit. I didn't go to the service at Westminster Abbey because I was feeling so achy and stuffy. I took a nap and then packed a little. I ended the night early after some food from the Metropolitan.

London day 6

Day six was my favorite day in London. Ww got up this morning and went to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.We were worried that we weren't going to get good spots but actually did and Tasha (s/o to you) had the best view and recorded the whole thing on my go pro and I am hype to go home and watch it.  After we went to take some photos in front of the palace and then we headed back to campus for lunch which was so bad. I took a nap before we got up to go to service at Westminister Abbey. This was the most amazing service I have ever been to, literally 10/10 recommend. I was in the most breathtaking building I have ever seen and worshiped. I cannot believe that is my real life.

Day 13 London 7/1/16

Today I am going to be a tourist, but nobody will be able to notice :) This morning the whole group went to the Tower of London. It wasn't really a tower but a collection of cool artifact from the UK. I was most excited to see the crown jewels!!! Macy, Courtney and I stood in line for forever and got really close to a giant crow. It ended up barking at us and scaring the crap out of me! When we finally got into see the jewels they took my breath away! The center diamond on the Queen's crown was 3,106 carats! I think the idea of a royal family is so cool and special. Tower Bridge was close by so we went to take pictures and they turned out great! Next, we met Dr. V to head to the London Eye. I had a hard time finding Dr. V because he wasn't wearing his salmon shorts. I ended up spotting him and then we were off! The London Eye was such a good view of the city! It started to drizzle why we were up there but we still got great pictures! After, we took pics in front of Big Ben before going to eat some diner. To round out a very touristy day, it was time to strike a pose on Abbey Road! I was nervous about running in front of cars that I forgot to strike the pose! Then we had to redo and it turned out great!

London day 4&5

Days 4 & 5 were filled with lots of adventure. Day 4 we went and visited the museum of brands and did some research for our project. We went and had a marketing lesson with the groups and it was kind of a review for me since I already had basic marketing class. After this was over we got to walk through the museum and look at all of the different brands and how they have evolved with the times. This was interesting to me because I got to see brands from the year I was born up to the present day. After this was over we headed out to do some research for our project and when that was done we went off to bed.

Day 5 started off with a tour of the Bank of England and a mini economics lesson. The bank was interesting because we got to see how it all started and the authority they have as a bank since it is different in America. After this we went off to do some final things for our project for London and went to Abbey Road which you know is where the Beetles had their famous album cover taken. This was so fun because you had to time it just right to get the perfect photo. Today we also went to the tower of London and the London eye. Two touristy things that I wanted to do. They were both amazing and I was in awe that I was actually at these places that I had only seen in pictures.

Day 12 London 6/30/16

I had a quiet morning doing homework. I had lunch at the university before the group headed out to the Bank of England. The Bank of England has a mission to regulate inflation and hold monetary strength for the good of the people of the UK. The bank prints all of the paper money. Each piece of currency has special holograms, paper feel and raised print to make it hard to fraud. This helps the money maintain its value. It is amazing to me that it only takes cents (in this case pents) for money to be produced but it is worth so much. This is based on the agreed upon value that the money can be used to purchase goods or services. Overall it was a great visit and I even got to try to pick up a solid gold block but failed hahaha. To learn more about the Bank of England you can visit them at www.bankofengland.co.uk.

After the company visit, I explored the area of Chelsea. The architecture is very pretty and the people were friendly. It was a bigger town with a homey feel. I liked the mix of local and very popular shops. Later, Macy, Court and I went back to Harrods so I could get the purse I have been saving for! I finally got it an dam so excited!!! We wandered around the store and found ourselves in the fur coats and evening gown section, basically the next best thing to clothes and shoes. I touched a 320,000 pound sable fur coat that was imported from Russia. I would like to take that to the bank!!

Day 12: London day 5

Today we went to the Bank of England, but before heading to the bank I went to do some research. I got an interview from a skate store called Slick Willies and then just grabbed some lunch before heading over to the bank. At the bank we watch a video that explained how a banks work and what happens when a bank runs into a economic problem. After the bank I decided to go try for another interview. I got an interview at the skate store called Element and he was very nice and really helpful with stuff for my paper. After that I then headed over to the House of Vans skate park but the manager was out helping at a festival, I was still able to go look inside the skate park and it was amazing. I had never seen an underground skate park so big, it had a movie theater, two skateboarding areas, and two areas set up with art from Kensington college. I managed to get the owners email and emailed him, now I am just patiently waiting and hoping for him to reply. After leaving the House of Vans I got some dinner and then went back to the college to relax.

July 1, 2016
I am a Conquerer
               Day 13 of GEC 1 and I'm screaming TGIF!! Today we get to see the Tower of London and the London Eye! So in short we saw the crowns jewels and where people were tortured and beheaded along with the best view of all of London! And yes it was just as great of a day as if sounds. I conquered my patience by standing in a ridiculously long line to see the Crown Jewels and yes it was worth it! The raw beauty of it all and the awe from how old and hard it was to make them were left me speechless. If not all, must of the Crown Jewels were made all the way back in 1661! And it's amazing how they've been kept up with for so long. The torture chambers weren't as awesome as I was expecting (and yes I was really excited about seeing it don't judge me). We learned that England did not actually use torture method often, so that explained why they're wasn't much too it.
               Next I conquered my fear of heights on the London Eye. And yes while it barely seems like it's moving and you're in a pod it's still quite petrifying to be up that high. You fall, you die is all I'm thinking the whole time. But regardless a remained calm took loads of deep breaths and pictures when I felt brave enough. The view truly was amazing you could see all of London, you were in the middle of the old and new side. Lastly, were conquered the Tube! The underground system actually becomes quite simple as long as you look at a map and removerwhere you are and where you're going. After the Eye we were able to venture off on our own and while we stopped at many stores, the one that stuck the most was the Harry Potter store. Harry Potter was a huge aspect of my childhood so of course I had to check it out and it was every bit of awesome as I expected it to be! And that how I ended my day, with a little trip into the world of wizardry.



 

June 30, 2016
Pounds on top of Pounds
   Day 12 of GEC 1 The excursion of the day was the Bank of England! Yes, the building looked equally as grand as the name. Many fun facts were learned on this trip such as that wasn't found until 1694 and before then goldsmiths (goldsmith bankers) were the bankers and hand out the promise notes. Also were learned the roles of the Bank of England. Their job was to keep financial system (flow of cash) constantly moving. The bank tackles risk and weaknesses that may possibly lead to economic failure, so they do such things like set interest rates higher or lower to keep cash flowing and a proper rate.  So the primary job their is to keep prices stable and maintain the value of money so the economy can stay afloat.
   After the excursion we continue on through the city. We ventured off into new places such as Covent Garden, where we did our duty to help the economy by imputing cash into the financial system. Then we ventured to the opposite side of town a wonder into the House of Vans skateboarding garage. While I cannot skateboard it was intriguing to see people maintain their balance and  do tricks, and even if they didn't land them the determination to get up and keep trying was still amazing. Plus their was a unique art gallery opening going on inside which was pretty cool in itself. So you could say we were well cultured today by getting out there and blending in with locals.

June 29, 2016
Research, Research, Research!
    Day 11 of GEC 1 Euromonitor is the destination of the day. Euromonitor is a privately owned market research business. They primarily focus on strategic intelligence on markets . So in basic terms they compose and collect information from around any area of the world to sell to businesses. These businesses often use this information to make decisions or if and where to expand their company and, in a way, help their clients stay ahead of competitors by providing all this information. Overall the company trip was quite informative, as it was expected!( get it because they provide information). Definitely seems like a great place to work if you like traveling and gathering loads of information.
   After the  euromonitor excursion, me and my partner in crime decided to do a little research around London  ourselves. By that, we researched the food and store around campus to see what the style, sales, and taste of things were lol. Lots of souvenirs we purchased in the name of this research along with delicious pizza eaten (Italian food is great here).  Back to campus we went to do research on locals (another interview)  where we found a sweet fashion accessories  entrepreneur at the park. Which matched perfectly for my buddy, Eboni, whose going into fashion marketing. The conversation flowed easily and once again I was left amaze how people who live worlds apart came be so similar. Anyway logging off until tomorrow to see what the great Bank of England will teach me.

June 28, 2016
All About Those Brands
   Day 10 of GEC 1 Today we dropped on by the Museum  of Brands. It's a small museum created by Robert Opey who never three wrappers away. He believed if we throw away all we consume how will we know what it used to be. Fran continued to discuss the importance of keeping up with past packaging for brands. This is so you see how not only the company has developed but also to see how times have changed in advertising. For example, a lot of early brands had mostly writing, small canister/metal packaging, and little to no pictures and over the years they had less writing more pictures and the packaging is mostly plastic. So we learned about all the fantastic bits on how brands and packaging evolve to stay more up to date with times.


    After the brands museum we had to venture around London for found and stumbled across Nando's. The food and service was good, but do not go in expecting fried chicken, it's all grilled (the celebrities are instagraming wrong). Afterward homework was caught up on, which believe it or not it is very easy to get behind on and forget in all the excitement. ALSO something easy to forget is your bus pass! I got left and missed on china town all because I forgot my bus pass, so triple checking is essential! Good thing out of the bad was I got my interview from the receptionist at the university I am at. She's really cool and turns out we both love arctic monkeys! Always cool to see you have things in common with some random person across the globe. Anyway be back tomorrow with more London adventures

Day 10: Museum of Brands

The day has just ended and overall it just wasn't a great one. There just wasn't enough time to handle everything we had on our list of things to do. Today we decided that my partner would focus on her shops and interviews and that I would take the next day. After breakfast we headed out in the city to begin. Our first stop was a skate park but because it was so early in the morning no one was there. We still took pictures and decided we'd come back at another time. There happened to be another place of interest within the area so we pulled out our map, planned our route, and started walking. 

After about 20 minutes of walking and rerouting (due to streets being blocked off for construction) we made it to the establishment. Unfortunately, it was closed as well. Although the website stated certain hours of operation the door had something different printed. We then went in search for a Starbucks to use wifi to plan our next move. By the time we found a Starbucks we made the choice to head in the direction of our group presentation so we wouldn’t be late.

We arrived early enough to grab some snacks while we waited for the group. Today was a tour of the house of Brands, which is a museum full of almost every brand that has come through this city. The museum was originally started in 1984 by Robert Opie who was a historian but Mr. Opie has been collecting items for over 50 years. Although I’m not from this country, many of the brands and designs on the boxes and jars I remember seeing as a child growing up. There were magazines that dated back to the 1930’s and 40’s, as well as toys that were even older than that. I think it’s a great idea to document history this way. I enjoyed this visit.

Day 9: A Tour of London

Today we spent the day with Rachel, a tour guide from the same company as the tour guide from Dublin. She was very energetic and knowledgeable. I can honestly say that I learned about history on this tour. She educated us on King Henry the 8th and his six wives, his break from the Catholic Church, and his later years of life. We learned about the battle involving the English, the French, and the Spaniards. Rachel showed us the lions that were casted from the captured guns and cannons of the French and Spaniards, but also went into detail about the strategy used by the English to win the battle.

We saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and West Minister Abby. Growing up I would frequently see these attractions on television and other social media platforms, but seeing it up close was different. I can honestly say that so far London has won as the best city on this trip (although I haven't been to Paris yet.)

One thing I thought was interesting was the subway system. It's so simple that anyone should be able to use it with ease. New York may want to take a look at how London has made traveling do simple.

After the tour Rachel lead us to a restaurant that sold its menu items at ½ price on Mondays. The food was amazing! London is seriously expensive so any time one can save even a few dollars is great! Our waitress was really nice and talked to us about how she was working to save up money for school. She loved to travel and one day hopes to see Paris.

I do realize just how fortunate I am to be able to participate in this program. Each day I do my best to experience something new, something that takes me out of my comfort zone. I try to totally take advantage of this opportunity given to me.

Day 8: Too Tired to Enjoy Moments

Today we arrived in London and it is just like I envisioned it...a New York City feel with a twist is class. The school in which we are lodging is located in the heart of the city. The university itself is located within a park, which is something I've never heard of before. It's an older building so the floors are uneven, no elevators, and no air conditioning but, it's London, so who's complaining?

We put our bags in our rooms and was immediately given a tour of the campus as well as educated on the rules and policies of the facilities. We then had dinner and headed out into the city in search of supplies that were needed. Unfortunately, everything was closed, I'm guessing because it was Sunday. Upset and discouraged we turned to walk back to campus. It's hard to believe that there's absolutely nothing open in the city around 8pm on this side.

By the time we accessed our rooms all I wanted to do was go to sleep. I was happy to be here but too tired to even attempt to do any more venturing out. It’s fun and exciting to be overseas but this isn’t a vacation. I stay tired and I stay constantly moving, working, and researching in order to stay up on my assignments. Knowing it will all payoff in the end, I keep going and pushing myself to endure the next day. I purchased some shoe inserts before I left Nashville but my feet still hurt. According to my Fitbit I’m walking an average of 8 miles a day, which is more than I do at home. Constantly being on your feet, you quickly learn to take advantage of sitting when you can. The pace of the city forces you to walk faster to prevent being ran over, which in turn causes you to almost speed walk everywhere you go. My feet and calves are in shock!

This is much better!!! 

Day 11 London 6/29/16

The day started off by going on a company visit to Euromonitor. The visit was very informative and I found out they do research for other companies. The companies want research done to expand into new markets or to find out their top competitors to potentially buy them out. Euromonitor has employees doing on site research in over 80 countries and hopes to expand to 100 countries soon. I also found out that some countries, like Ethiopia it is more difficult to get research in.  During the visit we got to see a sample project that expanded research into 56 countries, the main markets were highlighted in bold. Before this visit, I thought that research was mainly done in the medical field but found out that it is a very lucrative business and really helps companies make informed decisions. To learn more go to www.euromonitor.uk.com.
After the visit, I came back to the university to do laundry and get some homework done. The receptionist even gave me laundry detergent so I didn't have to buy any! I stress about laundry and always call my mom when I do it at school, so it was nice to have help. I got an interview with the receptionist and learned more about the city. Macy, Courtney and I went to Harrods later to do some research. I got a couple interviews, where I found out about summer trends for cosmetics. We ate pizza for dinner, which was delicious. Court and I split a sundae at the ice cream bar to finish off a fun day!