And So It Begins

Photo courtesy of Shirley Bassey at shirleybassey.wordpress.com

Hello, and welcome to my very first post! This is one of several pre-UK posts designed to get everyone acquainted with my trip (its purposes, what I'll be doing while I am in London, etc). So, let's get the ball rolling, shall we?

For starters, I was accepted into the Fall Term in London program at my school, Augustana College. The program offers 10 Augustana credits to the students who attend. While in London, I will study British Art History, History of London, and British Politics (three credits each). In addition to these classes, I will have a one-credit seminar with our program leader, Peter Kivisto, a professor of sociology at Augustana. Our classes will be held once a week at the London Study Centre in Kensington. Can you say, "long weekends"? Sweet! Plus, I've heard Kensington is a pretty nice place...it's the home of such wonders as the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, Kensington Gardens, and the legendary Royal Albert Hall. If there's one thing I love, it's classical music. :) We will be staying in flats near the Study Centre, fully equipped with kitchens, so we can do our own cooking (yay for saving money!) Our trip also includes a week-long stay in Scotland (including Edinburgh and Glasgow). I am really looking forward to all of the cultural and historical riches that London has to offer!

I'm still working on the payments for London, but a rather exciting development is my recent purchase of my Visitor Oyster Card, a tool that will help me navigate London's subway system (the Underground or "Tube") easily and relatively affordably. I'm still waiting to hear about Augie Choice, a program that allows students at Augustana to apply for up to $2000 for activities such as research and foreign study. I should know by mid- to late July whether I will be awarded the full $2000. I want to thank all who have contributed so far, as it has eased the financial burden considerably (that and my part-time job at a thrift store). 

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know how I stand so far in the process and introduce you to the nature of my trip. Am I nervous? Well, of course. But I'm also super excited. I've been itching to get to Europe for a few years now. My flight leaves Minneapolis on August 31st, and I will return on November 10th. Any comments, questions, or pieces of advice would be most welcome. Until the next post, cheers!