Mind the gap between the train and the platform

I can't believe it's only Wednesday! It's been such a whirlwind week so far in London. On Monday, I had class and then went and saw Wicked that evening. It was absolutely amazing! I loved it so much that my mom and I are going to go see it again when she comes to visit. The best part was that the ticket was only 15 pounds so I didn't have to feel guilty about spending too much money either.

Yesterday, I had class until 1 then had the afternoon free, which was extremely nice! I ended up taking a much needed nap. When I got up, my roommates and I went on a walking tour of the West End. It was fun to see a lot of new places of London that I hadn't yet ventured to. We went to Covent Garden and Chinatown which were cool to see. I can't wait to get back there and try some Chinese!

Today has been equally as jam-packed and isn't yet over. That seems to be the general pace here in London, just go-go-go. I like it though since it makes it nearly impossible for me to get bored or all too homesick. This morning I had a field trip for my class, London and the World Wars, to Apsely House and the Wellington Arch. Apsley House was where Wellington and his relatives lived (and still live) before and has been maintained and refurbished to look as it did at that time period. It was really interesting to see all the different paintings, sculptures, and murals that he had. We also went up in the Wellington Arch where we got a pretty good view of London. This afternoon, my Understanding Britain Today class went on a walking tour of Westminster right along the river Thames. It was, again, an area of London I had yet to really explore and definitely enjoyed. I also got to enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate with our professor, who is British, which was pretty interesting. We told him that most of us were from small towns to which he replied "Well you all look so sophisticated but really..." ha. He said in such a very British way though that it didn't seem quite so rude and at least he was honest! We then ended the day with a lovely walk home through the wind and rain. Needless to say, my hair looks fabulous at this point.

Tonight we're going to go to the International Student House for some free Scottish dancing lessons. I'm not sure what this will involve but it should definitely be an experience. As most things have been here!