This is the group of students that went with me on the study abroad. We had the time to meet each other before we left in the previous semester. Truth be told that I still wish I could travel with this group again.
Using the Underground was an eye opener for me. Im used to a culture where everyone has a vehicle. It took me only a week though to finally adjust to using the bus and train system, and once I figured it out I almost prefer using the mass bus stations just because I never had to worry that much on when one would come. Don't get me wrong though, I love driving to where I need to go.
It just so happened that when I was in London, they were about to host the Summer Olympics. Sadly, my trip ended one week short of when they started. I still got all the build up leading up to the games.
On one of my free days, a group of us left to go see the British museum. This has always been a child hood dream of mine. I'm kind of a geek when it comes to old culture and artifacts. I felt like a kid in a candy shop when I was there.
Almost everyone who travels to London has to get there picture by Big Ben. This picture was taken right after a parade that the queen had. She just had her Diamond Jubilee, which is a huge deal because it shows that she has been in thrown for 60 years.
This is the road that lead to Buckingham palace. It was decorated for the Diamond Jubilee festivities.
I couldn't help myself to getting a picture with a British Police Officer. He was very kind in giving us our directions to where we needed to go. These officers are very approachable (maybe its just because we were in a tourist area...Oh well, he was still really nice).
I always wished that I could be in one of these phone booths. I had never used one before then, so my family got a fun surprise when I called them from London.
For the Diamond Jubilee, the queen had given a three day vacation to all of London (besides the food and hotel places) so everyone could participate in the festivities. This night in particular was one of my favorite because the queen had a concert with a bunch of famous people. Some I didn't know but I did recognize Will I Am, Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Sir Paul McCartney. There were Jumbo TV stands everywhere and people would picnic to watch the concerts. This was an awesome night.
Among all the cathedrals I went to, I loved going into the Westminster Abbey. Its architecture and history struck me as something I couldn't pass up.
In my last week in London, I was taught how to play cricket. Its kind of like baseball... but I kept on letting go of the bat (whoops). I was fortunate enough to actually keep one of the cricket balls and take it home with me.
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Study Abroad - London

In the summer of 2012, I had the privilage to take a 6 week study abroad to Uxbridge, London. When I was there I took two classes and managed to find some time for travel on the weekends. Looking back on this adventure, I see exactly how it has changed my outlook on my life. I now am more confident in my decisions, have a greater appreciation for other cultures, and look forward to the next time I get the opportunity to travel abroad.

Ben Tallman
Mr. Benjamin Tallman Ames, IA