Hey everyone! My name is Sharon, and I have been chosen as the blogger for the Fall 2012 semester trip to London, United Kingdom. I’m super excited to be blogging for all of you fine people, and I hope you find my experiences in London to be pretty awesome!

So, I’ll begin with giving you some info on myself. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I am a junior at Guilford College (located in Greensboro, North Carolina). I’m a double major in sociology and criminal justice. I’ve never studied abroad before, so I JUMPED at this opportunity to have both classes and an internship in London.

Although I’m already in London (and have been here for approximately three weeks already), I feel a bit obligated (in a good way!) to tell you a bit about my D.C. seminar experience with The Washington Center. First and foremost, being in D.C. with my fellow classmates was an amazing experience on its own. I am also fortunate enough to be on this trip with two classmates from school!

Our D.C. seminar allowed us all to get to know each other pretty well before hopping across the pond to England. After getting well acquainted with one another in D.C., we became a close-knit, big happy family. No, seriously. We do everything together, whether that means finding a place for lunch or walking to classes together. However, I’m sure fellow commuters weren’t feeling the love all the time, a group of 20 guys and gals on the D.C. metro all at once can be a bit overwhelming.

Gazing up at the Washington Monument.

Navigating D.C. with the nineteen other London-bound Intern Abroad students made everything so much easier when we got to London. Two weeks in Washington, D.C. was great preparation for getting around a busy, bustling city.

Up, Up and Away!!!Leaving our comfortable, spacious housing in Washington, D.C. was definitely a bittersweet moment. However, there was nothing better than knowing that we would be in London in a mere few hours.

On the charter bus headed to Washington Dulles airport.

Home, Sweet London.

Once we actually arrived at Heathrow, everyone was incredibly exhausted. Perhaps the biggest challenge of the day was staying awake, because all of us were jet-lagged. As the day progressed, we were all dropping like flies due to exhaustion.

After our first day in London, which consisted of everyone sleeping and unpacking, we ventured into the city to explore. CAPA (The Washington Center's partner in London) arranged a panoramic bus tour of London, which was incredible! We were able to stop at different tourist destinations around the city, jump off the bus and take pictures. My favorite spots were outside Westminster Abbey, as well as London Bridge.

Alexandra & Nigel on the panoramic bus tour.

Classic red telephone booth pic, apparently a rite of passage when coming to London!

We found an awesome black phone booth, and couldn't resist...

I happened to get off the tube station at Westminster by accident, and totally did not expect to see Big Ben OR the paralympic flag display!

London Bridge in the background, with the Paralympic symbol.

Everyone was looking at St. Paul’s Cathedral, while Alexandra was being goofy.

The panoramic tour of London was a great experience. We were able to get a good geographic idea of where all the famous sites were around the city, and in the next few weeks I made several trips back to these sites.

The Internship

I must admit, I am so excited to be interning in London! My internship is with the Women’s Resource Centre, which is a blanket organization for other women’s rights organizations and groups around the United Kingdom. My job specifically consists of social media aspects, as well as several political approaches and implementation of policy regarding women’s rights in the UK.

So far, I have attended several meetings with my site supervisor, and I have been delegated multiple tasks at work. I am currently working on a book review for the Women’s Resource Centre’s quarterly newsletter (I’ll keep you posted!), as well as responding to any media sources that make statements against women’s rights. I am also helping organize a conference for the WRC, as well as contribute ideas towards the renovation of the website and other social media pages.

Advice Corner from the other Interns:

Nigel:“Richmond Court [where we are currently housed] is a pleasant area, cursed with a narrow staircase that I would compare to a blocked esophagus; a pain to deal with, and inevitable when eating British cuisine.”

My interpretation: DON’T overpack! We all did it, and it was a pain getting everything up several flights of stairs into our flats. Everything is much narrower and smaller in London, so keep that in mind when you pack a 50lb suitcase (or two, for that matter).

Drew: Mind the gap!

My interpretation: No matter where you are on the London Underground/Overground, you WILL see signs that say ‘Mind The Gap.’ Furthermore, the train conductor repeats it multiple times, as well as an automated recording that reminds you constantly to watch your step. Drew liked this phrase so much, he bought the shirt.

Drew, rocking his new t-shirt.

London is such a diverse city, and has so much to offer all who choose to enter its gates. From Buckingham Palace to the Tube, there is so much to do here! I am truly fortunate to be given this experience, and I look forward to experiencing as much as possible while I am here!

About 75 percent of the London interns, the rest of the crew got a little camera shy.

More coming up next week. Stay tuned!!
Stay classy,
Sharon