First Day: London Town

So today I arrived to London at 6:30 AM (UK time)! Other than the fact that I've only slept about 3 hours in the past 35 or so, I am having a blast and am so excited to spend the next four months here. I'm temporarily residing at a hotel in the heart of London, so today I was able to do a lot of walking and exploring the territory. 

For starters, the architecture is just stunning. I've been to London once before about 7 years ago, but I had not truly appreciated everything as much as I donow.

Fun fact: I actually caught this lovely photo of Big Ben by sticking my phone out the taxi window while passing by....probably not the most advisable move but it turned out to be a great shot.

Here I am with my friend, River Thames and good ol' Ben. Just so everyone knows, Ben is a fan of selfies.

I don't know if anyone will agree with me, but I feel like this photo of the Victoria Memorial in front of the Buckingham Palace is almost magical with how the lighting and clouds turned out. 

I took this gem when walking through St. James Park. I was enjoying the lovely weather and unexpected sun when I realized the entire park was literally FULL of couples. They were everywhere. And then there was me. So what, I'm bitter, deal with it.

Here's a lovely shot of just a small part of St. James Park. 

And my first celebrity sighting! I was lucky enough to see Natalie Portman portraying BOTH the white and black swan!!!! Nailed it!

And finally, a panorama of the view from the bridge over the River Thames. I'm really mad that I cut off the tip of Big Ben and didn't realize, but I'm sure I'll have another chance to retake this photo. 

Let's not forget the other side, featuring the lovely London Eye.

I am so beyond excited to be spending the semester in such a BEAUTIFUL city with such an amazing history. I will definitely be posting about any adventures I embark on.

Carpe Diem,