Bella Scipione

Sep 21 2022

Today marks our first official day. G and I arrived safely in London early this morning and attempted to fight off the foredooming jet lag throughout much of the day. We are staying a few miles outside of the central city of London and enjoying navigating the city’s public transportation system. We are amazed at the diversity and classiness of the locals and got our first taste of UK’s culture and society.

After getting settled in at our quaint little hotel, we walked around Westfield shopping centre and grabbed a snack at a local pub. Tip #1: don’t order the nachos. Our decision to order the nachos was questionable, we were hungry and people make rash decisions when they are hungry. G asked if she thought the “salsa” was a little sweet and we concluded that the “salsa” was really ketchup. I have inserted a pic below.

Following our afternoon-snack debacle, we got some rest and headed towards downtown London to start exploring the city in the night sky. Our first site-seeing attraction of the trip was St. Paul’s cathedral. We were in awe of the building’s size and architecture. Consecrated in 1697 (325 years ago), the cathedral reaches 365 ft tall and 246 ft wide across transepts. St. Paul’s cathedral is truly rich and extravagant and I am looking forward to discovering more of London’s antiquities.

G and I ended our night at a restaurant called Caravan and reflected on our day over cocktails and smoked-salmon bowls. We are learning to appreciate and embrace the different ways in which humans interact with one another cross-culturally. While it is too early for me to articulate particular differences, today served as a reminder of the light that surrounds the world we live in. Radiancy exists within conversation, individuality, and togetherness. We are all different, yet all the same and I am eager to discover more of the peculiarities that make up the human experience.