Daughter of the Bard

Well these are my last days at home for several months. I have managed to condense all of my belongings into a large suitcase, a smaller (yet, seemingly magically large) carry-on, and a laptop bag. I have clothes enough for 3 and a half months (I hope!) and only seven books.
 Seven books.
I have never been so book-less in my life. When I was younger and we'd go on vacation for a week I'd take a duffel bag full of at least 30 different books. Now, I am down to seven, 'tis a tragedy. In addition to my books, I shall have to leave behind my wonderful collection of tea and tea pots and not carry any of my favorite mugs for my coffee.

Well, so much for sadness, onto the adventure! Where, you might ask, am I going? I am traveling to England to spend a semester in London. While most of my knowledge of England has been gained from Downton Abbey and Jane Austen novels, I cannot wait to see what living in Europe is actually like! My past abroad experience comes from a two week trip to Ireland last year and I treasure that trip as one of the loveliest experiences of my life. Most of that trip was spent in a haze of green hills, watching the sea pass by, and drinking many pots of warm tea. I plan on my trip to London also consisting of much drinking of tea and eating of scones (my favorite thing) and going on as many adventures as I can find. In addition to living in London I plan to explore many other places: Ireland, Paris, Scotland, and Wales. We'll see how many I can get to.

I plan on going to Oxford (and sitting in the pub where the Inklings met!), seeing Chatsworth House (Where they filmed Pemberley, from the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice!), visiting Highclere Castle and as many other spots in England that I can fit into my trip.

So, you might ask, is this just one grand vacation? Well, no, not exactly. While abroad I shall be taking classes at Hollins' London Abroad program, housed in the University of London. I will be taking classes on Shakespeare, Media, Contemporary Britain, and a History of London. These classes will be on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, leaving me long weekends to travel and explore the city.

I will be living with a English family while in England, in a northern suburb of London. Thankfully, I will have my two dear friends from school, Katie and Rachael, on the same street as I am, just a few doors down. This is great because I will get to see them often, and also great because they will help me to not get lost, an excellent thing as I do not have a stellar sense of direction.

And now, you ask, why is my blog called Daughter of the Bard? To me, this seemed an apt name, as my last name -Ward- means Son (or daughter) of the Bard. A bard, for those unfamiliar with the term, was a person who traveled around the world collecting stories, songs and wisdom, and passing their knowledge onto others. This is what I mean to do while abroad. I want to learn the stories, be taught the songs, and hopefully take in the wisdom of those around me. I want to see and experience all that Europe has to offer me, and this blog is a small way that I can tell those experiences to all my dear ones who shall be so far from me. 

Now, as Bilbo so aptly puts it, "I'm going on an adventure!"