My cousins also took me to a winter carnival in Hyde Park, which seems like the Central Park for London, as well as the infamous Nando’s.
My uncle gave me a bit of advice about staying with my cousins. He said if I wanted to explore London I’m going to have to go on my own because no one in our family moves until at least 1pm. So, I ended up taking the train to a few museums all on my own. I can see why they call it the "tube" now: the trains are very round like tubes, but they’re also shorter in height compared to New York or D.C. trains. I can now say I’ve taken the local subway systems in four different countries and in six major cities around the world, all without any help!!
I spent about three weeks in England, traveling, eating, and meeting family, and it was honestly so much fun-- especially facetiming my mom and being on the other end with my aunt this time instead of next to my mom. I flew home a few days before my classes started again in the USA. I took Icelandic Air, which always stops briefly in Iceland. So, I got to see the Icelandic skyline, glaciers, and the Icelandic airport before finally coming home.
This entire trip abroad was from August to January, and I really learned so much about different languages and cultures, traveling, and even myself. I improved my French skills, but also brushed up on my Urdu, talking with family, I learned I could understand a little Italian and had my fair share of learning other languages. I saw new places, ate new things and did plenty of shopping. I learned that I’m a lot more adventurous and independent than I thought, and I’m really good in high stress situations.
