Natural History Museum & Dover Castle – 4th Week at NYU London!

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Michaela Greenlee

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Michaela Greenlee

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hello! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> New York University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2024 <i>Destination city & country:</i> London, United Kingdom <i>Program provider:</i> NYU London <i>Major/minor:</i> Global Public Health <i>Demographics:</i> Caucasian/White, Hispanic/Latinx <i>Future career aspirations:</i> My future career goals involve becoming a university professor of public health in the social and behavioral sciences. I hope to conduct research in my own laboratory that explores how to mitigate health disparities among low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations. As a future professor, my mission is to empower my students (particularly females and students of color) to volunteer in my lab and develop a passion for working towards health equity. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> My top three goals for my time abroad include developing a comparative lens to analyze differences in health care infrastructure between the United States and United Kingdom, building strong and professional relationships with my internship mentors, and becoming an independent individual who can learn to take accountability by navigating through challenging situations.

Hi everyone! This week was a hectic one for me, as the workload picked up in my classes and my internship responsibilities got busier. However, I was able to find some time this weekend to take a mental health break and get involved in activities that allowed me to de-stress a little bit.

On Saturday, I visited London’s Natural History Museum because I have a love for animals and wanted to learn about the discoveries of biodiversity at this world-famous museum. It was exciting getting to tour the various exhibits, ranging from mammals to amphibians and reptiles to the minerals gallery. The grand entrance of the museum holds the massive blue whale skeleton, which symbolizes humanity’s power to shape a sustainable future (pictured below!). My personal favorite collection was the birds gallery where there was a wide variety of different breeds featured, including an extinct dodo bird, a historical hummingbird cabinet and even a Victorian avian anatomy display.

On Sunday, I took an hour and a half train ride with my two friends to Dover, England where we spent the day exploring the beautiful city and enjoying the sight of the gorgeous, sparkling light blue water of the Strait of Dover. We made sure to immerse ourselves in the city’s rich history by buying tickets to the Castle of Dover, where we took a self-guided tour of the Great Tower and experienced the vibrant color and rich furnishings of the royal rooms. Next, we toured the exterior grounds of the castle and toured the WWI Fire Command Post which revealed the story of Dover Castle’s role as a military headquarters during the first world war. From the Post, we used binoculars to view the stunning views of the White Cliffs of Dover – luckily it was a very clear day so we were able to see far and even caught a glimpse of France in the distance! Later, we grabbed a bite to eat at the castle’s cafe where I tried raisin scones for the first time with clotted cream and strawberry jam. It was a delicious and much needed treat, especially after climbing so many steps up to the castle and walking nearly three hours! Finally, in the evening, we dined at a Turkish restaurant called Aspendos in downtown Dover where I ordered Mitti Kofte – meatballs of minced lamb and herbs.

Thank you for taking the time to read my fourth blog! This week I’m catching up with my schoolwork, but I have plans for next weekend to see the musical, Six, with a friend and visit Stratford-Upon-Avon with the NYU London group. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with you all next week :)