I am so thankful to have a job that lets me express myself in writing. While working at the newspaper this summer, I decided that I would write a 6-part series over my trip to Europe. Here is installment number one, and you, the blogging community, get the sneek peek. Enjoy, and expect many more, very soon. PS - This picture is the London Eye
Eurotrip – England
On everyone’s bucket-list lies the box marked “Travel through Europe.” With countless thanks to my friends, family, church congregation, the Medicine Lodge community and especially my grandparents, Leslie and Carolyn Oldham, I now can cross through that very same task on my own list. Between June 12th and June 27th, I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to sing and sightsee in seven different European countries. My journey began almost a year ago when my choir teacher, Gloria Morford, nominated me to be a part of the Kansas/Kansas City Ambassadors of Music Choir through the Voyageurs International, Ltd. Company. This group, comprised of over 300 students and staff members, created music by means of a choir, band and orchestra. Over the course of several weeks, I will describe my life-changing journey throughout the many countries that I recently visited. My first story will encompass my experience traveling to England, and my time in spent in London. I hope that you enjoy these stories and consider making it a priority to visit Europe and cross through “Travel through Europe,” on your very own bucket-list.
After three exhausting days of rehearsal on the WSU campus in Wichita, I traveled to Kansas City in order to begin my European adventure. I was told to check in three hours early for our flight to New Jersey where we would take a connecting flight to the London-Heathrow Airport in England. After flight delays in Kansas City and a two hour taxi in New Jersey, we finally began our flight overseas. The eight hour flight seemed to last an eternity. Maybe it seemed so long because the food was mediocre, the seats were uncomfortable, and I only slept 20 minutes, but I’ll bet it was because I was so excited to land and begin making memories. Almost immediately after landing, we boarded our respective buses and immediately headed for Windsor Castle. En route to the castle, I realized that we were driving on the left side of the road. As if jet-lag wasn’t enough, they decided to confuse us even more.
When we arrived in the town of Windsor, we split ourselves into small groups and decided to go exploring. The small town was full of clothing shops, restaurants, bars, and other stores. We stopped just short of the actual castle to have lunch and watch some street performers. The castle itself was gorgeously built out of stone on a large hill and towered over the rest of the town. Small cars and the red double-decker buses filled the narrow roads while pedestrians and cyclists took over the sidewalks. I snapped several pictures of the town and the castle, ate a strawberry tart at a pastry shop, and thoroughly enjoyed my first experience in England.
After a short bus ride, we arrived at our hotels, checked in, unpacked and had dinner. When we had finished dinner and orientation, we set off for a walking tour of London. We walked through the streets and down to the Millennium Bridge, or as the locals call it, the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge. After the walk, we went back to the hotel and slept for the first time since leaving Wichita.
Sunday morning, we sang in Wesley’s Chapel, where the Methodist Church was founded. We sang all traditional songs for the service. One thing I found interesting was the fact that after sharing some exciting news or hearing a vocal performance, the congregation was asked not to clap, rather to say “Amen,” in agreement with the words spoken. Our first concert came about that afternoon at the Embankment Gardens. The British fans were all so excited to hear us perform. Some even brought flags to wave during some of the more upbeat songs. After mingling with the locals who attended the show, we set off in groups of 20 to explore the city more. My group ventured toward the London Eye, the giant ferris wheel that holds 30 people per cab. Its massive spokes and cabs (also called orbs) were visible from many miles away. The wait for a ride was nearly two hours, so we decided just to admire it from the ground. Next, we set off for Covent Gardens, a neat square that housed restaurants, shops and vendors. I chose to eat a delicious chicken and vegetable pasty there, a hand-held version of a chicken pot pie, and watch the street performer juggle. Then, we pushed our way through the walking traffic and quickly made our way through Piccadilly Circus and to the original Hard Rock Café, where many souvenirs were purchased. We then walked down to Trafalgar Square, home of gorgeous fountains, enormous bronze lions, and a statue dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who led the British to victory over Spain and France in The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The day ended with a cab ride home, some snacks at the hotel, and great laughs with new friends.
My last day in London began by meeting what I believe to be a real life version of Mary Poppins. This splendid woman named Diana was our tour guide for the morning. She led our group all around London, showing us the magnificent buildings of British Parliament, Stockton Yard, Westminster Church, and the enormous clock tower, Big Ben. We then rushed to catch the Changing of the Guards ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace. Diana pushed our group to the edge of the street for a better view. When the band passed by us, we followed them at a brisk pace, cut through a small park and garden area, and came out in front of the palace to view the other guards coming in. Their precision, poise and confidence were something to be admired as the guards patrolled 24 hours every day. And, as tempted as I was to reach out and touch one of the furry black hats that the soldiers wear, I couldn’t bring myself to do it in fear of being thrown into a British jail and forced to eat cold cheese sandwiches, a regular lunch in England.
Later in the afternoon, our smaller group ate at a terrific pizza place, and then walked to Her Majesty’s Theatre to watch Phantom of the Opera. The theater was decked out with comfortable seats, red carpet and several gorgeous chandeliers. Now, I had seen the Hollywood version of the show and knew the story and could even sing a few of the songs, but seeing the show live was particularly awe inspiring. The intricacies that the cast, crew and orchestra threw into their scenes made the production. The magnificent sets portrayed scenes and made them appear real and basically dragged me into the story. That show was one I will never forget.
After the show, we snagged a London taxi which turned out to be a thrilling ride. You see, in London, taxi drivers believe that they have the right of way, not the pedestrians. Consequently, when someone tries to cross the street while they are driving through, they honk their horns profusely and holler profanities out of the window at them. Our driver was no exception. He wound his way through the town and back to the hotel in less than 15 minutes, a sure sign of his skill.
Our time in London had come to an end and it felt like my incredible voyage had just begun. The buildings were magnificent, the people, despite the taxi drivers, were quite friendly and welcoming, and the memories are unforgettable. London was truly a treat, and our next stop, Paris, held potential to be the same.
On everyone’s bucket-list lies the box marked “Travel through Europe.” With countless thanks to my friends, family, church congregation, the Medicine Lodge community and especially my grandparents, Leslie and Carolyn Oldham, I now can cross through that very same task on my own list. Between June 12th and June 27th, I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to sing and sightsee in seven different European countries. My journey began almost a year ago when my choir teacher, Gloria Morford, nominated me to be a part of the Kansas/Kansas City Ambassadors of Music Choir through the Voyageurs International, Ltd. Company. This group, comprised of over 300 students and staff members, created music by means of a choir, band and orchestra. Over the course of several weeks, I will describe my life-changing journey throughout the many countries that I recently visited. My first story will encompass my experience traveling to England, and my time in spent in London. I hope that you enjoy these stories and consider making it a priority to visit Europe and cross through “Travel through Europe,” on your very own bucket-list.
After three exhausting days of rehearsal on the WSU campus in Wichita, I traveled to Kansas City in order to begin my European adventure. I was told to check in three hours early for our flight to New Jersey where we would take a connecting flight to the London-Heathrow Airport in England. After flight delays in Kansas City and a two hour taxi in New Jersey, we finally began our flight overseas. The eight hour flight seemed to last an eternity. Maybe it seemed so long because the food was mediocre, the seats were uncomfortable, and I only slept 20 minutes, but I’ll bet it was because I was so excited to land and begin making memories. Almost immediately after landing, we boarded our respective buses and immediately headed for Windsor Castle. En route to the castle, I realized that we were driving on the left side of the road. As if jet-lag wasn’t enough, they decided to confuse us even more.
When we arrived in the town of Windsor, we split ourselves into small groups and decided to go exploring. The small town was full of clothing shops, restaurants, bars, and other stores. We stopped just short of the actual castle to have lunch and watch some street performers. The castle itself was gorgeously built out of stone on a large hill and towered over the rest of the town. Small cars and the red double-decker buses filled the narrow roads while pedestrians and cyclists took over the sidewalks. I snapped several pictures of the town and the castle, ate a strawberry tart at a pastry shop, and thoroughly enjoyed my first experience in England.
After a short bus ride, we arrived at our hotels, checked in, unpacked and had dinner. When we had finished dinner and orientation, we set off for a walking tour of London. We walked through the streets and down to the Millennium Bridge, or as the locals call it, the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge. After the walk, we went back to the hotel and slept for the first time since leaving Wichita.
Sunday morning, we sang in Wesley’s Chapel, where the Methodist Church was founded. We sang all traditional songs for the service. One thing I found interesting was the fact that after sharing some exciting news or hearing a vocal performance, the congregation was asked not to clap, rather to say “Amen,” in agreement with the words spoken. Our first concert came about that afternoon at the Embankment Gardens. The British fans were all so excited to hear us perform. Some even brought flags to wave during some of the more upbeat songs. After mingling with the locals who attended the show, we set off in groups of 20 to explore the city more. My group ventured toward the London Eye, the giant ferris wheel that holds 30 people per cab. Its massive spokes and cabs (also called orbs) were visible from many miles away. The wait for a ride was nearly two hours, so we decided just to admire it from the ground. Next, we set off for Covent Gardens, a neat square that housed restaurants, shops and vendors. I chose to eat a delicious chicken and vegetable pasty there, a hand-held version of a chicken pot pie, and watch the street performer juggle. Then, we pushed our way through the walking traffic and quickly made our way through Piccadilly Circus and to the original Hard Rock Café, where many souvenirs were purchased. We then walked down to Trafalgar Square, home of gorgeous fountains, enormous bronze lions, and a statue dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who led the British to victory over Spain and France in The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The day ended with a cab ride home, some snacks at the hotel, and great laughs with new friends.
My last day in London began by meeting what I believe to be a real life version of Mary Poppins. This splendid woman named Diana was our tour guide for the morning. She led our group all around London, showing us the magnificent buildings of British Parliament, Stockton Yard, Westminster Church, and the enormous clock tower, Big Ben. We then rushed to catch the Changing of the Guards ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace. Diana pushed our group to the edge of the street for a better view. When the band passed by us, we followed them at a brisk pace, cut through a small park and garden area, and came out in front of the palace to view the other guards coming in. Their precision, poise and confidence were something to be admired as the guards patrolled 24 hours every day. And, as tempted as I was to reach out and touch one of the furry black hats that the soldiers wear, I couldn’t bring myself to do it in fear of being thrown into a British jail and forced to eat cold cheese sandwiches, a regular lunch in England.
Later in the afternoon, our smaller group ate at a terrific pizza place, and then walked to Her Majesty’s Theatre to watch Phantom of the Opera. The theater was decked out with comfortable seats, red carpet and several gorgeous chandeliers. Now, I had seen the Hollywood version of the show and knew the story and could even sing a few of the songs, but seeing the show live was particularly awe inspiring. The intricacies that the cast, crew and orchestra threw into their scenes made the production. The magnificent sets portrayed scenes and made them appear real and basically dragged me into the story. That show was one I will never forget.
After the show, we snagged a London taxi which turned out to be a thrilling ride. You see, in London, taxi drivers believe that they have the right of way, not the pedestrians. Consequently, when someone tries to cross the street while they are driving through, they honk their horns profusely and holler profanities out of the window at them. Our driver was no exception. He wound his way through the town and back to the hotel in less than 15 minutes, a sure sign of his skill.
Our time in London had come to an end and it felt like my incredible voyage had just begun. The buildings were magnificent, the people, despite the taxi drivers, were quite friendly and welcoming, and the memories are unforgettable. London was truly a treat, and our next stop, Paris, held potential to be the same.
