Jonathan Chavez

London. What can I say that thousands of years of history, art, literature, media, natives, tourists, and in-betweeners haven't already said? To say that this city is incredible would be an understatement surpassing even Dorothy's "We aren't in Kansas anymore" line from The Wizard of Oz. Whether it's the sounds of pedestrians speaking languages from every corner of the globe every time you hit the streets, the smells of street vendor food and world class restaurants combining to make an irresistible aroma no one can ignore, the feel of ancient artifacts of times of old in the city's famous museums (just make sure the guards aren't watching *wink wink), or just the sight of the city skyline from "the secret spot", there is not a single doubt in my mind that what we are experiencing is urban and cosmopolitan personified.

What makes this even better is the people I'm with. While it may have taken a semester to warm up to my fellow GLS'ers, I can definitely say that they are the smartest, funniest, most interesting, and classy people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Whether it's studying for the next Stats test, visiting cities outside of London, patronizing local pubs (Yellocard!), or just having a good time, this once-in-a-lifetime experience is most certainly one for the books! Already I have had memorable times: The first few weeks of studying abroad involved getting lost late at night and "stumbling" upon St. Paul's Cathedral with a friend, discovering the mighty Knights Templar meeting house (read: pub), watching the Billy Elliot Musical ("they made a musical?), traveling to Liverpool to visit their futbol team's stadium (watch where you step around here, haha), and even eating at the pub in Oxford graced by such literary luminaries as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien, and walking across the famous Abbey Road. 

In all honesty, If I left tomorrow I would already feel as if I have accomplished much in my short stay here, but there is still so much time left and so much more to see, feel, live. I hope that by the end of this semester I have accomplished even a fraction of what I hope to do. This experience has already been amazing by any definition of the word, and I know it can only get better. Well, as the English say, Cheers Mate!