Shoe Hunt

Several people have recently warned me that wearing sneakers—á la white athletic shoes—while abroad is apparently the equivalent of carrying a big sign that says "Look at me! I'm a tourist!" As a central Florida resident, I know there are certain fashion choices and actions that flag someone as a tourist (think sandals with socks, fanny-packs, large cameras worn around the neck, etc while roaming the theme parks), so I can appreciate suggestions of how to tone down the I'm-totally-a-tourist look. After all, I'll likely have other touristy red flags, like carrying around a backpack/daypack everywhere, constantly taking pictures, and/or consulting maps. :)

That said, I know we'll be doing a lot of walking while there, but walking shoes really aren't part of my regular wardrobe beyond owning sneakers. Thus begins my shoe hunt and the search for comfortable walking shoes that aren't ugly, don't scream "tourist," and could be worn as casual shoes here too. IPC doesn't have too many options for finding said shoes—hence the shoe hunt on a weekend—but at least there's still plenty of time for shopping.

I'm not a big fan of some of the shoe styles recommended to me (they look like the tourist sandals sans socks), but if internet searches are any indication, there are hundreds of styles and brands from which to choose, meaning that I'll hopefully be able to find a nice, non-touristy option that I can still wear when I get back home. Sadly, my first choice of shoes—available only online—are sold out, and thus, the hunt continues...
Read more...

All the places to go...

As my trip preparations progress, I've drafted two short lists of places I'd love to see while in England and, more specifically, while in London. Since I've always wanted to go to England and was an English major in undergrad, I think my must-see choices tend towards quintessentially touristy destinations. However, in some cases, I've been reading about these places (and/or the authors who lived there) from middle school onward, so it would be neat to see at least some of them while there. :) Nothing has been formally planned, though, so I'm open to additional suggestions or modifications, especially since I'll have limited free time outside of London for travel.

Click on the Read More link to see my prospective lists and/or make suggestions.

Places to see in England:
Chagford, Devonshire
Christ Church, Oxford (Carroll)
Grasmere, Lakes District (Wordsworth)
Canterbury
Hadrian’s Wall
Gretna Green (technically in Scotland, but recurrent in English lit.)
Stratford-upon-Avon
Winchester Cathedral and Chawton Cottage, Hampshire (Austen)
Haworth, West Yorkshire (Brontes)

Places to see in London:
Westminster Abbey
Tower of London
London Bridge
Globe Theater
British Library (Magna Carta, Beowulf manuscript)
Buckingham Palace
Big Ben
The British Museum (Elgin Marbles!)
Hyde Park

Read more...

It's a start

Although I have a little experience using and viewing blogs, I've never created and maintained one on my own, so this will definitely be a learning experience for me. This blog will primarily chronicle my three-week-long study abroad experience in London and Paris this summer and also let my friends and family back home see and learn about some of my experiences as they happen. The program doesn't officially begin until the end of June, but I've been unofficially planning and preparing for several months now, so I wanted to start the blogging process a little early and capture all of the fun last-minute details to be straightened out. As more details get finalized and my packing begins in earnest, I'll be adding more posts and hopefully some pictures too.

To make room for more posts and pictures on the home page of my blog, I've added a "Read More" link that will appear at the bottom of each post. This feature allows me to put all or only part of a post on the main page and hide the rest behind the cut--aka the Read More link--to save space or add a little mystery. Clicking on this link opens the individual post on a separate page, where it will appear in full along with the opportunity to add a comment. So, click on the Read More link below to try it out and see the last bit of this post. :)

Since I've never really traveled outside of the U.S. and Mexico, I'm both excited and a little nervous about this trip. I call it my "trip of a lifetime," though, because I've always wanted to go to England and I never imagined I would get to study abroad, especially as a grad student. I'm still daydreaming about all the places I'd love to see while there, but for now, nothing beyond the program destinations is finalized, so I still have some planning to do. Feel free to post suggestions of must-see destinations and/or travel tips. :)
Read more...