Friday morning we had afternoon tea with the entire program at the National Gallery. It was our last chance to get together with everyone we had spent the last 2 months with. We took some group pictures on the stairs and some with our flatmates before heading inside. The upstairs was set up with tables for us. Each table had tea, coffee, champagne, sandwiches, desserts, and other little snacks. The food was really good and it was nice being able to get together with everyone and talk about our trip. We are really going to miss these people. We had a chance to say goodbye to the professors, program directors, and the program assistants. After tea we went back the the flat to start packing. We were not looking forward to this part. It was a struggle getting everything to fit back into our suitcases because we bought quite a few souvenirs. We then had to get ready for our tour of Parliament. Unfortunately, this was another location that we could not take pictures inside of, but it was one of the most beautiful buildings we had been in this entire trip. The entrance was the oldest part of the building but it had a modern art piece. It was made of a bunch of lights that changed depending on the tide. The higher the tide, the more lights that were lit up and the brighter they were. The whole building was incredible with all the little details and paintings. We got to go to the Queen’s dressing room (it was about the size of our entire flat!) and stand where the Lords sit during their meetings. It was such a cool experience learning about their government and seeing all the different rooms. It was one of our favorite tours we did this trip. We then went back to the flat to meet up with some of our friends to go to the Cereal Killer Cafe. This is a cafe that has all their menu items designed around cereal. The cafe was so cute it has stuffed animals, cereal boxes everywhere, beds for chairs at the tables, and old posters and games. We decided to try the milkshakes. Sam got hers with Lucky Charms and Syd got hers with Reeses Puffs. While the atmosphere and the idea behind the milkshakes were really cool, they were actually not very good. We are still glad we tried it because it is something we had wanted to do the entire time we had been here. We then met up with a few more friends at our favorite pub, The Rising Sun, for one last drink. Syd got a mojito and Sam of course got her favorite beer. We had a great night looking back on all the fun things we did this trip.

Saturday was our last day so we decided to do some of the things we didn’t have time to do before. We went out for breakfast so Syd could get her full English breakfast before we left. We went to a really nice restaurant just down the road from us. Sam got a muffin and eggs on toast and Syd finally got her English breakfast. It was really yummy, and a great morning out with some friends. We then went to Notting Hill Market where they filmed a lot of scenes from Notting Hill. It was a cute market with jewelry, food, and antiques. We spent most of the day just walking around and looking at everything. We bought some really cool jewelry, and of course we had to get the spiral potato like the ones at the Minnesota State Fair (yummy). It was a beautiful day out for walking around and exploring another part of town. We decided to stop at Wagamama’s for dinner because we had been wanting to try it since we first got here. We all got the chicken ramen and took it back to the flat to eat during our last flat movie night. It was nice having a relaxing evening in to spend time with our friends and finish packing.

Sunday we had to get up very early to catch a taxi to the airport. It was such a bittersweet feeling leaving our flat. Saying goodbye to everyone was very sad, but we were also excited to go home and see our family. It was weird leaving our flat one last time. Once at the airport we had some time to kill so we met up with some of our friends who were also at the airport and had breakfast before our long journeys back. We bought some snacks for the plane and said goodbye to everyone as we all headed to our own gates. The flight was good and the food was pretty good too. We had a layover in Detroit for a few hours before heading to Orlando. We are glad we had a long layover because a lot of our friends had delays so they ended up missing their connecting flights and didn’t get home until very late. We landed in Orlando at around 6pm, so 11pm our time. Our parents met us at baggage claim to help us bring out stuff to the car. It was so nice seeing them, but we definitely did not miss the Florida humidity. After a 2 hour car ride, we finally made it home where we got to see our dog. We didn’t stay up for much longer though because it was already 2am our time so we had been awake for nearly 24 hours. We both showered and went straight to bed.

These last two months were the best times of our lives. We got to meet so many amazing people, some who will be friends for life. We got to see so many new and cool places. Our parents came to visit and we got to explore London with them. We will never forget this incredible experience, and we want to thank you for keeping up with all of our adventures! Most importantly, we want to thank our parents for giving us the opportunity for a once in a lifetime experience. So here we are signing off one last time from our London trip. -SYD & SAM

Side note: After being home for a while, we noticed a few things that took a while to get used to. Seeing people drive on the right side of the road again was weird. Also the toilets there had the buttons to flush on top of the toilet, so it took a few tries of uselessly pressing the top of the toilets here to remember what a toilet handle was! Some things just took a while to adjust to, which is something we were not expecting. It has been nice being home and relaxing though. We now have to get ready and packed for fall semester in a few days. We are looking forward to seeing everyone from London in Tallahassee here soon!

On Monday we had our last lecture in the morning. We also had to run a few errands to prepare for the week ahead before our afternoon excursion. For our excursion we went on a Jack the Ripper walking tour. We got to learn about and see where the killings took place and where the victims and the Ripper spent a lot of their time. It was a really interesting tour. On Monday night we had some friends over to the flat for a birthday party. One of our flatmates turned 20. We played some games and had a few drinks before we headed out to our favorite pub, Flight Club. We played darts and had a few more drinks there! It was a ton of fun. Syd ended up winning during a tie-breaker by hitting the bullseye! Sam absolutely killed it at darts because she won at least 3 games that night and ended the night with the most wins and points. It was a blast and we had an eventful night out with our friends.

On Tuesday we just hung out in the flat and had a chill day. We ended up hanging out with our flatmates until late into the night just having some great conversations. Over these past few months we have gotten very close with them and the reality was hitting that soon we would be leaving. We were all a bit sad so, we spent as much time as possible together.

On Wednesday we had our very last excursion. We got to tour Buckingham Palace. Each year the Palace is open for a few weeks at the end of July to the beginning of August because the queen is in Scotland. We were very lucky to have been in London when touring the Palace was possible. Unfortunately we were unable to take pictures inside. You will just have to take our word for it that it was beautiful. After the tour we all got some ice cream and walked the gardens. We took one last photograph outside of the Palace and then we all headed home. We had a huge project due in class on Thursday so we all spent the rest of the day preparing for that.

On Thursday we had our very last class. We had to give a a 5 minute presentation and submit our 2 page papers we had been working on. Our projects had to be about a moral dilemma in British history. Syd did her project on the way the paparazzi treated Princess Diana and how they played a role in her death. Sam did her project on Jack the Ripper and his murders of multiple women. The projects were a lot of work and we were nervous about presenting, but it went well and we both got As on our assignments. After we finished class, the PAs put together a trip to a place called Primrose hill. It is a huge hill that allows you to see the skyline of London. We took a picnic dinner up there (complete with our favorite ciders and beers) and enjoyed hanging out and watching the sunset. It was a bit cloudy but we were able to see the city in complete darkness and it was breathtaking. We had been out in the city at night but we had never had this viewpoint before and it was beautiful. We enjoyed relaxing and talking to all our friends while admiring the beautiful city we had called home for the last two months. I may or may not have cried a little up there because I knew we would be leaving soon and I was going to miss it (bet you can’t guess which sister cried LOL). It all just hit me in that moment. We have been blessed with this incredible opportunity to live in a beautiful city where we met some of the most amazing people and lifelong friends. Being up on that hill was probably one of my favorite moments of our whole time in London. -SYD & SAM

Wednesday we took a day trip to Greenwich. We arrived via the Thames Clipper. It was fun taking the boat down the river to Greenwich. When we got there we walked up that massive hill to the Royal Observatory. This time we went in and got our picture at the tourist location. The Florida State IP Instagram recently posted a photo of a group of students taking a picture in the 80s/90s at the Prime Meridian line. We decided to recreate the picture and sent it to IP. They loved it and posted it on their page along with the original. We started a new trend because now a bunch of people are recreating old photos. After we explored the Observatory we stood outside to watch the ball drop. Everyday at 1pm the ball on top will drop. People counted down like it was the new years eve ball. It was pretty funny. The reason the ball drops is to help people out on the seas keep track of the time. This was very important before they had digital machines in boats and ships. We stopped at the Queens house. It was very pretty with a lot of art and a beautiful staircase. We then headed to a pub for some lunch with our friend. We decided to play scrabble while we waited for our food. The food was amazing, especially the brownie we shared for dessert. After we had some lunch we headed to the Greenwich Market where we got the cutest magnets. It had been a long day so after the market we caught a train and headed home.

On Thursday we had our morning class. In the afternoon we had an excursion to the Migration Museum. At first we were all confused because it was in a really weird location in a warehouse, but once we got in it was really cool. There were a lot of stories about immigrants. Some of the stories were very sad but others were hopeful. There was a place in the museum where you could write about someone who had been kind to you and hang it on the display. The display was full and they had bins full of notes that could not fit. It was amazing to see all the kindness there is in the world, even if things don’t always seem that way. The trip to the museum was a very eye opening experience. I am happy we got to go! After we headed home because it had been a busy week and we needed to get ready for our weekend trip to Yorkshire. It was another great week in London. -SYD & SAM

Monday was a busy class day for us, so our parents went off on their own to explore the city and go on a few tours. We had morning lecture like usual before heading to the Tower of London for a tour. We got to see where the people who were being executed stayed, the torture tower, and the gardens where people were executed. It was a very interesting tour because we got to hear stories of executions. After the tour we went back to campus to attend another lecture on Brexit. We didn’t mind hearing it twice though because we got snacks and wine! Once the lecture was over, we met up with our parents to go to dinner. We decided to try a 24 hour restaurant just a few doors down from us. We had breakfast for dinner. The food was okay, but our waitress left halfway through so we had to ask someone else for our check. That was a little odd. We then went to Primark to get London t-shirts. We were all exhausted from our long days so we called it a day.

Tuesday we got a chance to sleep in a bit while our parents went on a few more tours. we spent the day relaxing and doing some homework. After our parents got back from their tour we met up with at a pub for a late lunch. We of course got our usual mac n’ cheese, fish and chips, and a beer. We then had to attend pizza night and an orientation for our weekend trip to Yorkshire. We met up with our parents for ice cream after our meeting. The ice cream shop was called Udderlicious, it was so cute and the ice cream was amazing. Mom even read us a story (lol)! Unfortunately, this was their last night here, so we decided to end their trip the way it started: at a pub. We had a drink and talked about how much fun this week was with them here. It was a great end to a great vacation. See you soon Mom and Dad! -SYD & SAM

On Saturday the 13th we went to the Tower Bridge. We took a self guided tour of the engine rooms and glass floor above the bridge. It was really cool learning the history of the bridge. Over 30 people would work in the engine room to power the lift bridge. Now only one person has to press a button to operate the lift bridge. However, it still takes the same amount of time to lift and lower the bridge (60 seconds). It was cool to walk across the glass floor and see the bridge below. Being up there also gave a really good view of the river Thames and the city skyline.

After the tower bridge we headed over to the financial district. We walked around for a bit looking at all the unique modern buildings. It is a stark contrast to the area of London we are normally in. While we were in the financial district we went up to the Sky Garden. It was really pretty with all the flowers and the terrace. My favorite part was the balcony that allowed you to see over the majority of the city. It was a beautiful view.

After the Sky Garden we took the train to Greenwich for fish and chips. We went to a place called the Golden Chippy. It was a really cute mom and pop shop. When we got there it was before our reservation. We told the man behind the counter, who happened to be the owner, that we were early because we were hungry. He then proceeded to rip up fish and give it to us while we were waiting, it was funny but we all enjoyed the free sample. We sat outside and ate our dinner and then decided to explore the town a bit. Mom wanted to see the Prime Meridian that runs through Greenwich. We found out the place where people take pictures was at the Royal Observatory and it cost about $20 to get in and it was closed. After some research I found a place with markers and a sign indicating the Prime Meridian. We headed over there to take pictures and stand in two hemispheres at once. It was pretty cool and it was even better because it was free. We then climbed a hill to get a view of the city. It was a steep hill but worth it for the view. After that we stopped at a pub in Greenwich and headed back to Bloomsbury and went to another pub. It was a really fun day.

Sunday morning we decided to go to Abbey Road to recreate the iconic Beatles album cover. It took us a while to get the picture because there were so many people and cars honking as they drove by. Our picture didn’t turn out quite like theirs, but it was still fun trying. On our way back to the tube station, we walked by where the Cricket World Cup was being played. There were so many people, and the cheering was very loud. It kind of reminded us of a Quidditch match from Harry Potter. We found out they were playing the game on a big screen in Trafalgar Square, so we went to a pub for lunch and then headed over to watch the game. We didn’t really know what was going on, but a few people tried to explain it to us so we could attempt to follow the game. There were thousands of people standing watching the game. It was really cool to be a part of it, even though we didn’t really know what was happening for most of the game. Before dinner we walked to Piccadilly Circus. There were a bunch of shops like Zara, H&M home, and Top Shop. We then walked around a market in the area and stopped in a huge toy store with a great Harry Potter section.

For dinner we went to Hawksmoor at Seven Dials. Sydney wanted to get a traditional Sunday roast. Unfortunately, we found out they were out of roasts, but our waitress was kind enough to ask the chef and he offered to make roasts for us. Mom and Syd got the roast and Sam and Dad got a few appetizers to split. Sam also had the best beer called August Town. The dinner was amazing, we were so happy we were able to get the roast. At dinner we found out that the Cricket match was going into a Superover (overtime). We wanted to make it back to Trafalgar Square to watch the ending so we pretty much ran the whole way there. We made it just in time to watch England win for the first time in a long time. The crowd went crazy, it was so cool to experience it. It was such a great weekend with our parents! -SYD & SAM

(Thursday) In the morning we wandered around town for a bit showing our parents a few of our favorite locations. We spent some time in the Natural History Museum where dad got to meet Bob! They also got to see the Moon exhibit, that we thought was so cool. Dad took a photo to look like he was balancing a basketball on his finger and mom lifted it up above her head. It was still cool to see the second time. After the museum we headed over to Kensington Palace, the residence of Prince William and Kate Middleton. We spent about 3 hours just looking at the state apartments from Queen Victoria, King William, and Queen Mary, and some items belonging to Princess Diana. It was very beautiful inside and the gardens outside were just as stunning. We really enjoyed all of the exhibits in the Palace! After the tour we decided to get dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Prezzo. We decided to walk through Hyde park on the way there and stop for a drink on the water. Once we made it to the restaurant we all decided to share from a two course menu. We tried two different appetizers, four different main dishes (pizza and pasta), and two different desserts. It was all so yummy!! After we were all so full. We just walked around and explored a bit before headed back towards home.

(Friday) We got up early to go see the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, which we have not seen yet. We were able to get front row by the fence so we were able to see the majority of the ceremony. It was really cool to see. Mom said that now she feels like she’s had the London experience. They have a parade with horses, the band, and the guards so it is really fun to watch. While the changing is taking place the band plays some music. The day we were there they played Bruno Mars (one of mom’s favorites) and we all were dancing. After that we headed to Borough Market. We ate a bunch of food that was super yummy. We had the most amazing donuts there. We obviously stopped at a pub (or a few) throughout the day as well as just more walking around and exploring. After we explored a bit we went to the place they filmed the Harry Potter scene for 9 3/4. We also showed them the train station called St.Pancras. It is beautiful. From there we took one of the iconic, red, double-decker buses back. We got to sit front row on the top (we have never been able to get those seats before)! We took the bus to Chinatown for dinner. We went to one of the highest rated restaurants there (dad swears by Tripadvisor’s reviews). It was really yummy. Again, we just explored a bit before heading home. It was another full day, but we were determined to show mom and dad as much as possible before they headed home! It’s so much fun trying new places with them and also going back to some of our favorite places. -SYD & SAM

Wednesday, was the first full day our parents were here. We decided to just walk around various areas in London to just give them an overview. We went to Covent Garden, one of our favorite spots. There we shopped at the market and ate at Wahlburgers for lunch. Then we walked down to the River Thames and to Embankment Park. From there we walked towards Parliament and all the other government buildings in Whitehall. We saw a Brexit protest and Taxis lining the road completely blocking a whole intersection. It was very weird but kind of cool to see streets empty minus the black cabs. After that we headed over to Westminster Abbey. We also went over to the London Eye and some other cool spots in London. We ended up walking about 9 miles that day. We could not decide where to eat dinner that night. We ended up passing a Japanese Curry place that had a line out the door. We figured it must be good and dad made the decision that we would be eating there. It was a great choice because it was amazing. At least dad and Syd thought so. Sam ordered chicken nuggets, she is very adventurous with food so she did not have much of an opinion on the place and mom thought it was okay. After dinner we all met up with the flatmates at one of our favorite pubs, flight club. We had a few drinks and watched some of our friends play darts. It had been a long day so we decided to go back home and plan tomorrow! It is so fun having our parents here! -SYD & SAM

Monday we woke up at 3am to head to the airport. It was a weird drive because the sun was already up. After a short flight back to London, we were all exhausted so we just relaxed in the flat for the rest of the day.

Tuesday was another chill day to recover from our busy trip. We slept in really late and then went to the grocery store to do some necessary shopping. We then just chilled in the flat until our parents got into town. We went to the tube station to meet them when they got here. It was so nice to see them after a month. We went with them to check into their hotel before heading to our favorite pub. We got some food and drinks and went through our pictures to tell them all about our time here so far. We then went to another pub across the street (obviously this was dad’s suggestion). It was a fun night and so good to see them. -SYD & SAM