Our fascinating journey in England began at the start of the New Year. Lloyd and I traveled by plane and landed in Heathrow Airport on January 2^nd. Yes, I understand that Lloyd has wings and could have flown here by himself (he was being lazy at the time and preferred to go by plane). Once we arrived, we took a train from the airport to Paddington Station where we took another train to bring us to Plymouth.

Lloyd at the Plymouth Lighthouse

Although we speak the same language, we still felt a massive culture shock within the first several weeks. We were exposed to new words, different social norms, and different ways of living. Lloyd and I learned to call things differently here, such as “lift” for “elevator” and “rubbish” for “trash” (it took me some time to say “crisps” for “chips” and then “chips” for “French fries”). Not only did we learn more things about England, but many other countries as well. We’ve met tons of other international people from places like Germany, Spain, France, China, and much more! Lloyd and I learned some new languages, which is pretty neat.

We traveled around a lot. Because I had a light class schedule (or here they call it “time table”) I had plenty of time to travel around with some friends. We explored the open fields of Mount Edgcumbe and the fort on Mount Batten. We traveled to Bristol for the weekend and explored the city. Of course, Lloyd and I had to go to London. It felt unreal seeing places like Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, and Trafalgar Square. Those are places I’ve seen in pictures and movies, so it was truly fascinating to see them in person. 

Hello from Bristol Cathedral!

 As a bonus, we then went to Paris, France for several days. The Eiffel Tower was amazing at night, and like I said before, it felt unreal. To be honest, my French is terrible. Luckily, I knew two helpful French sentences that helped me survive: “Je ne parle pas francais” (I don’t speak French) and “Parlez vous anglais?” (Do you speak English?).

This month, Lloyd and I have two trips planned: a trip to Dublin and then a road trip through Wales. I know they’re both going to be great. Study abroad in England has been an amazing experience for me and Lloyd so far. Also, during this semester, I’ve discovered my fascination for traveling. Even when I finish my study abroad in England, Lloyd and I would look for more opportunities to travel around. We’ve got a whole world to explore. Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

Louis Sulit

Plymouth University, UK