48 Hours in London, England

My alarm goes off at 2:30 am, pulling me out of a deep sleep. Despite attempting to prepare for this early morning by going to bed around 8 pm, the sound of my alarm is still painful. Still, I jumped out of bed as quickly as I could, using my adrenaline to motivate me. Flicking …

All about IES London Theater Studies

Class Experience As a theatre studies student at IES London, the majority of my classes were theater-based, including Playwriting Workshop, Text and Dramatic Imagination, Theatre Industry, and Acting Then and Now. I loved all of these classes and highly recommend them to anyone interested in studying theatre. One of the highlights for me that came …

Treasured memories: my time on the UK DiscoverIES field trips

A few weeks before I left for my semester in London, I was sent the UK DiscoverIES field trip sign up. For IES London, the field trips were to Bath and Stonehenge, Canterbury and Dover, Windsor, Edinburgh, and Oxford. At first, I was hesitant to go on many of them because I knew that there …

Does traveling with your parents really conquer homesickness? 

An overarching struggle that many students seem to face while studying abroad is homesickness. This could be triggered from various things such as illness, seeing a dog that reminds you of your dog, something going wrong while traveling, and the list goes on.  One thing that I was really nervous about upon entering my abroad …

Exploring London with Flying Dutchmen

My spring break here in Rome was held over Easter weekend, for obvious reasons. Since Rome is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics, it can get pretty crazy over Easter. So, I decided to meet up with my friends Annika, Jack (both studying in London with IES and CIEE respectively), and Grace (studying with IES …

A Farewell Note

As my time here abroad is officially coming to an end, I can’t help but feel a mixed bag of emotions upon my departure from London. When leaving the states, one tends to have certain expectations and hopes for the adventures that await them within the next four months. Upon reflection, I can confidently say …

Theatre Scene

As London is home to the renowned West End, I have been able to take advantage of the countless plays and musicals being performed for months on end. Before coming to London, I had seen plays and musicals before in the States but London has revolutionized my love and appreciation for theatrical work. I have …

Familiar Faces in Different Places

Having little traces of home while abroad has been a great blessing to remind me there’s a whole other side of the world that awaits me when I get back. For me, some of that has come through seeing some dear friends from home. Throughout my time abroad, I have been lucky enough to have …

Find your Niche

A city like London will present oneself with a handful of options to fill up one’s day. Every possible source of entertainment can be found within the 38 boroughs that make up this city. Finding your niche can be one of the most pleasurable ways to have that cherry on top feeling to the novelty …

Being a Tourist Reprise

I can’t believe I have been in London for over 2 months. In that time, I have done the prerequisite tourist attractions. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, etc. However, I did most of that within the first two weeks. I am unbelievably fortunate enough that my parents were able to visit me while I …