Trip to London!

Happy November!!!

Time is flying by. I can't believe I only have six more weeks left. I'm feeling all the emotions about that, but I’m trying not to think about it just yet.

It’s been a while since I last updated you all, so let’s rewind to October 19th!

I traveled to London to meet up with my dad and aunt. My dad brought me Goldfish, and oh, how I’ve missed American snacks!

One of my favorite things about being in Europe has been discovering all the unique snacks they have here that we don’t have in the U.S. I always snap pictures to share with my brothers, and maybe I'll even bring back a variety of funky flavors for them. These are just a few of the many, many weird ones I’ve come across. Oh! And if you’re curious, look up black pudding—I spotted that on a breakfast menu and had to do a double take.

While they were here, I took my dad and aunt to do all the classic touristy things: visiting Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London, The Shard, and more. We crammed in as much as we could, and it was a blast!

I might’ve even taken them to see The Black Dog, because really, if you’re going to come visit me, I HAVE to take you to the iconic Taylor Swift pub!

We went inside Westminster Abbey, which was such an incredible experience and my first time visiting too! You could really tell how much work and thought went into building this church. I was amazed by the architecture. Plus, they still have mass here, which makes it feel even more special and alive.

One day, I took my dad and aunt up to Oxford to explore the University of Oxford and the city center—which is basically their very, very mini version of a downtown. We visited the Ashmolean Museum, and wow, it was enormous! You’d really need a full day to see everything there. It worked out perfectly, though, because I needed to visit for an assignment in my developmental psychology class. I was able to check it off my to-do list during our trip. The assignment involves writing about a sculpture or artifact that depicts a parent and child, analyzing the parenting style I perceive from it. Here’s what I chose.

The University of Oxford is absolutely stunning. This was my first time truly walking around the campus, and even though we couldn’t go inside any of the buildings, we still got to see Christ Church and a few other impressive landmarks. It’s literally like a castle!

We also visited The British Museum, another place where you’d need a full day to see everything. It was fascinating because it takes you on a journey through history from all around the world, covering everything from African history to Greek and Japanese history—and so much more.

While we were walking around London throughout the week, I kept noticing so many people carrying M&M shopping bags. There were literally so many that I had to look it up—and sure enough, I found an M&M store that was four stories tall! It was massive, with M&Ms that would last decades. I didn’t end up taking any pictures there, but I did pick up some goodies for my brothers and myself.

Right across from the M&M store was the Lego store, which had every Lego set imaginable. They had incredible builds like Big Ben, a Harry Potter set, and so many other cool designs. One of the best parts was a section where you could create your own Lego person. I even met a girl who was making Taylor Swift in her Eras Tour Lover bodysuit. I was obsessed and seriously impressed with how well she was putting it together!

It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in Oxford! The leaves have fallen, and I’m loving the reddish and pinkish colors scattered everywhere. It’s definitely getting colder, so I always make sure to have a jacket with me. My essentials these days are my umbrella and a warm jacket—I never leave without them.

On Halloween, I went to a murder mystery party with my friends, and it was such a fun and creative night! The fog even made its first appearance on Halloween, which was perfect for the spooky atmosphere. Experiencing Halloween here was definitely interesting. None of the stores had costumes or Halloween decorations, aside from some pumpkins, which made dressing up a bit tricky. I ended up just throwing on a dress and it was actually not a big deal to not dress up. I also noticed that people here prefer to go all-out creepy: lots of vampires, zombies, and anything covered in blood.

Lastly, I voted all the way from Europe! It’s pretty awesome to be able to do that while being in a whole other country.

Next week, I’m heading to my final trip destination! Thanks for following along on my adventures. By the way, I always add even more pictures of my adventures to my homepage and update it almost weekly!

Much love,

Isa