Cheerio, European Discovery families and friends!
Once upon a time, there was a group of enthusiastic teenagers and six dedicated staff members, each a little bit different but with one crucial common goal: to share the summer of a lifetime with both new friends and old, creating memories that would last no less than forever. From eleven different states/provinces, our trip members fused together, and some 3,470 miles later, landed in London, England to begin an extraordinary journey. And so the story begins…
Once we collected everybody from the airport, we set off for the beautiful Notting Hill area to do some trip bonding and taste our first delicious bites of European cuisine. With bellies full and excitement in the air, we continued our day by soaking in a bit of British culture whilst exploring the busy streets of London.
Emily B. and Ilana B. were two of the first trip members to embrace English tradition by piling into one of London’s famous telephone booths.
Once day turned to night, we enjoyed our first group dinner at Wagamama, where Dylan and Lindsey kept everyone laughing with their vibrant senses of humor…and we haven’t stopped laughing yet. After an action-packed first day, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for yet another exciting day to come.
What an exciting day it was! Trip members were treated to the hilarious stylings of our tour guide extraordinaire. We saw everything there was to see: from the one-of-a-kind jewels housed at the London Tower, to the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace.
Natasha and Brooke toured London’s impressive collection of crown jewels while befriending a variety of guards on duty and Hailey D. joked, “remember the biggest cut diamond in the world? That’s gonna be my wedding ring, no big deal”. Later in the night, we had the extreme privilege of viewing an authentic English performance of Billy Elliot. Emily and Allie could have absolutely joined the cast, after we learned about their incredible dancing skills.
First thing in the next morning we ventured over to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, where trip members were able to get up close and personal with all of their favourite celebs and famous figures. While there, Jake E. Thought it would be funny if Rob posed with the stars, and a multitude of tourists crowded around taking pictures, thinking he was another wax VIP. Afterward, we set off for Harrods, in hopes of running into someone like Beyonce, who had been there just days before.
Raffy and Mel had the time of their lives while others explored the local shops nearby.
Marielle, Stephanie, Liza and Jen enjoyed Sunday in the most authentic way possible by going for high-tea during their free time.
Though three exhilarating days in the land of fish and chips have sadly come to a close, we are eager to continue immersing ourselves in the European lifestyle. With that said, we’re off to Amsterdam!
Ta ta for now,
Your European Discovery Staff
The Westcoast Blogger
