with the Tower Bridge. I appreciate the symbolism associated with its functionalism. Though cliché, the purpose of a bridge is to bring people together, linking two sides of one. While admiring the interachite architecture of this bridge, I recognize that this bridge joins me, as well as other people from
“ I recognize that this bridge has
connected me to England and it will continue to connect people to England... around the world to England. When looking back on my time in London, a multi-cultural and interconnected city, the feelings associated with walking on the Tower Bridge are what sticks with me the most.
England London Bridge
After landing in London, I receive my study visa and head to the exchange campus. It’s nerve-wracking being alone in a foreign county, a continent away. I don’t know what to expect, but I notice the streets are lined with candy colored Fiats, giving me a sense of comfort. Just this year, I got my own two door Fiat which my friends tease is the ‘smallest car in Ithaca.’ Our campus is a 45 minute train ride out of downtown London in a town called Twickenham. On a day-to-day basis, we use the iconic red double decker busses to venture to neighboring towns such as Kensington and Teddington. Much like a TCAT, these buses take up the whole
road and are rarely on time, but they do take Apple pay which is a definite plus. To reach downtown London, we need to take the South West Railway. With zero attendants to assist us, we are flying blind into Waterloo station. We quickly realize our tickets are wrong, but the workers of Waterloo see us dumb Americans, take pity on us, and wave us through regardless. With one hurdle down, the next is tackling the Tube system. Since the Tube is comparable to any American subway system, we’re able to understand it. During my time in London, I connect
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