Brighton and the Warm Spring Weather

By:

Makenzie Kuykendall

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Makenzie Kuykendall

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hello! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> University of Idaho <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2023 <i>Destination city & country:</i> London, England <i>Program provider:</i> ISA <i>Major/minor:</i> Education with a focus in Art <i>Demographics:</i> I am a first generation college student and love to help others <i>Future career aspirations:</i> After graduation, my goals are to teach english as a second language abroad through programs such as JET and EPIK, become a high school art teacher in the Seattle area, and illustrate children's books <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> Maintain a 4.0 GPA, fill out a new page of my sketchbook every day, and travel within my city or the UK every weekend.

This weekend I went to Brighton on an ISA excursion. One of the other ISA students I met actually goes to the University of Idaho like I do! It was really exciting to talk about the restaurants we liked from our college town. We are hoping to meet up a few times in London before we go, and she also happens to be going to Amsterdam the same week I am! It’s such a fun coincidence. Hopefully we can stay friends and hang out during the summer back in the US.

Brighton itself was really great. Our day’s schedule got messed up with traffic and late bus drivers, so we hardly had any time to explore on our own. However, I was able to enjoy some cheesy chips from a fish and chips restaurant, and then we walked on the pier. The coolest thing we saw was the Royal Pavilion. It was inspired by South Asian architecture, and featured fancy carpets, enormous chandeliers, and silk wallpaper with little dragons. The interior of this building might be the only thing to rival the looks of La Sagrada Familia, which I saw in Barcelona back in January.

I wish I could have spent more time in Brighton. Maybe, if I have time, I could plan my own private day trip there in a few weeks. However, I might just wait until next time. I am sure I will be back in Europe.

Speaking of which, I was discussing with one of my ISA leaders about her experience moving from the US to the UK. She said she studied abroad at Kingston towards the end of her bachelor’s education, and realized she wasn’t happy with the major she picked. She felt it was too late and too costly to change her mind, so she graduated as planned, but then pursued a master’s degree in the UK. I might follow a similar path. I would love to get a masters in Europe, but I think I would like to try teaching at least a couple of years before I make that decision.

On a separate note, the weather in London is warming up quite a bit. I had a mini spring cleaning session in my dorm and put away all my winter clothing into my large suitcase. Today I went on a long walk around my neighborhood and wore shorts and sunscreen. When I rode the bus to campus later, I actually got too hot on the top floor of the bus. The double decker buses are such a fun novelty to me, but if the temperature remains this high, I’m going to have to prioritize snagging a seat on the ground floor!

Images: Inside the Royal Pavilion, fish and chips with my friends