I’ve wanted to travel for a long time. My whole life. I grew up reading, and I’ve always wanted to see and experience Europe. And then when I started to study acting hard-core, everyone told me I needed to go to London so I could learn what good acting is. But I never had the money. I wanted to go after high school. Since I’ve been at college I’ve been trying to get the money together to go on a study abroad.
I grew up in California, and I’ve been to most of the neighboring states, and over to Idaho, Utah and Arizona. Once, my senior year I went to Washington DC for four wonderful days. But that’s it.
When my dad died he left me a bit of money. Not much, but it helped me pay for tuition and stuff this year. At the end of the year I had some money left. I had been planning to save that–air mark it–for the expense of moving and getting started in NY or LA after graduation in a few years.
And then a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to use it to go on a study abroad instead. BYU’s theatre study abroad deadline had long ago passed, but I had never really considered going on that one. A smaller, neighboring university has a significantly cheaper program, which was preferable in other ways as well. I was afraid the deadline had already passed–but it hadn’t.
so i’m going
here:
{london}
and then here for a bit
{stratford-upon-avon}
and four days here
{paris}
and finally here
{Edinburgh, Scotland}
to perform a show in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
I’ve been looking at flights, and I’ve found it’s cheaper to get a flight from SLC to NY and then to London…so I may spend a week here:
{new york city}
…if i can find a cheap sublet or sleep on someones floor…
we shall see.
If I do go to NY, my trip will be just shy of five weeks. If not, it will be almost four weeks.
I feel blessed. Lucky. Excited. Joyful. Happy.
Tips, suggestions, places to go in these cities? Advice for this adventure?
{Photo Credits via Deviant Art: London Stratford Edinburgh Paris New York }
Eat lots of good food in Paris. Eat duck, crepes, croissants, and tarts. Overnight some to me. Take a bike tour!!! Do it first thing, then you’ll know what you want to go back and visit (I was in Paris for 4 days too, btw). http://fattirebiketours.com/paris. They’re American.
Remember that when you buy a sandwich in London it’s really costing you like $14.
Know about this site. http://www.couchsurfing.org/. Maybe it will help for NYC.
Buy one of those little fold out plastic maps (in London) that has a metro map of London on one side and Paris on the other. SO SO SO helpful. It shows you exactly how to get to EVERYTHING.
People in Paris don’t hate Americans. At least they didn’t hate me. They always loved that I was from San Francisco.
Try to avoid the creepy guys that try to kiss you and/or propose (I got 7 in my 4 days there).
Museums in London are free (though some exhibits cost money) and on the first Sunday of the month most of the main museums in Paris are free (I actually hate museums, but forced myself to go to the Louvre, etc for a few hours since it was free).
Bring a good umbrella.
The London Eye at night is cool.
[...] that are not flip flops. This made me very sad. I am going to be doing a lot of walking on my study abroad and I want some good-for-my-feet, can-wear-with-everything, well-made sandals. [...]