Study Abroad, Honors Program & Other Student Experiences

Before this trip to London, I have to say I was blissfully unaware of one of my biggest faults as a person.  Panicking.  For the past two weekends I have suddenly learned that if I don’t know something for sure I will worry and panic about it.  Mom….I blame you. Okay, so before I tell you my latest adventure which involved panicking let me fill you in on the other details from the weekend.

On Friday, after going for a run, my friend Becca and I meandered over to the Senate House Library to return some books that were due.  After that we headed to Primark.  I feel as if I write that I went to Primark way more often than I should.  But unless you’ve been to Primark you really just don’t understand.  Everything is just so cheap and it practically begs me to buy it.  In fact, it’s so cheap that the prices magically trick me into thinking that I’m saving money…..BUT I’M NOT! The prices lie to me.  However, I’ve been good.  I’ve never spent more than 15 pounds in the store, and most of the time I walk out with maybe one item priced at 3 pounds.

Anyways, Becca and I spent at least 2 hours in the store….don’t ask me how.  And then it was time to head home.  The rest of the evening was spent lounging around.  I watched a Bollywood movie, which I think I’m becoming addicted to.

On Saturday, Becca, Dani, Sheri, and I headed to Portabello Market.  The market is huge and everything is so inexpensive.  I bought a purple watch for 15 pounds which I absolutely love.  We didn’t spend a massive amount of time there though, because it was a cold, rainy London day, and we figured we could spend more time on a nicer day.  On the way back from Portabello though, I made an amazing discovery.  Remember in one of my past blogs I made a comment about the need for a more socially acceptable article of clothing to keep your face warm? A more socially acceptable form than a ski mask? I. Found. It.

A. PANDA. SKIMASK!!!!!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a strange obsession with pandas.  I have a panda hat, a panda pillow pet, and youtube videos with pandas may be the cutest things in the world.  Don’t believe me? Look up pandas on a slide. I dare you.  Anyways, I saw  the panda ski mask and it took all my willpower to walk away from it.  I’m still debating going back to buy it.

The rest of the day was spent lounging around, and doing homework because it was just one of those days.  For dinner, my friends and I took advantage of being in a huge city and ordered takeout from a website called Just Eat.  It’s fantastic.  You pick out what kind of food you want, and it shows you millions of restaurants in the area that will deliver said food to you.  I got to enjoy a lovely pizza.  Yum.

On Sunday, this is where the adventure begins.  I went for a run. In the rain.  And then spent the rest of the morning doing various homework assignments, and watching an episode or 2 of New Girl.  Then the clock struck 4.  The time had come.  It was time………for……..(Can you feel the suspense?)……..HARRY POTTER STUDIOS!!!!!

Now, when I was here over the summer, I was lucky enough to go to the Harry Potter tour.  And this time I was lucky enough to go with friends.  I also was lucky enough that I got to be the one in charge of finding out how to get there using public transport.  So here starts the adventure.

Becca, Sheri, and I left the house around 4 pm. This gave us approximately 2 and a half hours before our tour time.  (Tour was at 6:30 p.m.).  We headed to Notting Hill Gate where we took the tube to Shephered’s Bush which was approximately a 10 minute ride.  From there we walked across the street to the Overground station.  There we decided to ask assistance from the information desk.  We told him where we needed to go and he told us that the next train would be our best bet.  So as he’s taking our money for tickets, and talking to his fellow worker.  I watch a train pull in, drop people off, and then leave.  And I can’t help but think that that is the train we were supposed to be on.  After finally getting our tickets, we headed towards the platform and waited for the next train.  In the rain.  15 minutes later, the train shows up and we get on.  We figure out that we need to change trains at a certain station.  We do that, but then lo and behold there is engineering work being done.  In other words, the train we need isn’t coming…great.  Luckily enough though they have stand in buses which will supposedly take you anywhere you need to go.

So we go and wait for a bus. For 15 minutes. In the rain.  (notice a theme?)

Once on the bus, we realize we have really no idea where this is going to let us off.  This is where I begin to panic. Not only do we not know where we are, but also it is now 5:40.  Too close for comfort when it comes to time.

We get to what we believe is the correct stop, talk to another information desk, and they tell us that the next overground train will get us to Watford Junction, where we needed to get to.  So we go and wait for another train….in the rain.  At this point it is 6 p.m and the panic meter has gone up….immensely.  We are waiting for the train trying to figure out how we’re getting from Watford to the actual studios, when we make an even more panic-inducing discovery.  On our receipts from ordering online, it specifically states that we need to be at the studios 20 minutes in advance for our tour, because otherwise they can’t guarantee our spot on the tour…oh and also the tickets are nonrefundable.  Great.  Just great.

So the overground train shows up and we take that to Watford…it is now 6:10.  From Watford there is supposed to be a Harry Potter shuttle to take you to the studios, however, I don’t know the specifics like how often the shuttle comes or where it picks up….which could be a problem.

Now, before I tell you this next part, I would like to stress that I made it there and home without ever being in any sort of danger.  Perfectly safe.

In the Watford Station, we met two people from Australia who were also trying to figure out how to get to the Harry Potter Studios, they asked us if we had any idea where we were going and we told them we didn’t.  So the two kids from Australia started looking for a taxi for the 5 of us.  And then the five of us got into a taxi and drove to the studios.  So although, we got into a car with 2 strangers, everything was perfectly safe.

Moving on…

We arrived at the studios at 6:25, and we got to go in.  Thank. God.

The actual tour was absolutely amazing.  It was just as amazing as the first time.  They have absolutely everything from the movies, including a real live Great Hall, the Knight Bus, 4 Privet Drive, the car that crashes into the whomping willow, and all the various costumes, sets.  Everything.  Its an absolutely amazing experience.

 

I even bought a stuffed hippogriff!! any suggestions for a name would be welcome. (=

We spent about 3 hours at the actual tour, before we had to catch the last shuttle bus back to Watford.  Once arriving in Watford, we waited for our train, thought we missed our train, panicked, before the actual train arrived and took us back to Shepherd’s Bush.  From there we took the tube back to Notting Hill.  However, after this 7 hours adventure the three of us were starving. So we believed a well-deserved trip to McDonald’s was needed.  We got there right as they were closing, but kindly enough they told us that we could buy some of the last made items.  So after grabbing burgers and mcflurries we headed back to the house, and ended our crazy, panic-causing adventure.