England by Hiram

Learning how to cope while traveling is important because you are being exposed to a lot of new things. Traveling in a large group can make things even harder especially when you have an introverted personality. Winding down to the end of our journey has been the most difficult for some of us. Tensions between others can be high and things are easily misunderstood or misinterpreted. However, there are ways that you can learn to handle being in a large group for weeks at a time. When you have free time use it to your advantage. Get away from the noise and go hang out with a small group of friends or go for a walk by yourself. Sometimes it’s better to be alone and there’s nothing wrong with being alone. If you have had a particularly stressful day, find someone you trust to confide in. Afterwards, take a nice long hot shower to relax. If you are having problems with another person and feel that you can talk to them about it than talk out your issues. It is okay if you do not feel comfort...

Going to Dunsinane Hill to read the end of Macbeth was informative. When reading the play it was not obvious that there was a fortress at the peak. I somehow imagined that the soldiers were just fighting on a hill. Now that I have climbed the hill I have realized how wrong my imagination was. The hill is very steep and would not be easy for the offensive side. I truly think that Macbeth had the advantage in real life even though he did lose that battle. I also think that being in Braemar and going to Dunsinane made Macbeth the king and Macbeth the character easier to distinguish from each other. The play is not a history and so many people take this story as reality without realizing the history behind it. Getting to explore Scone Palace afterwords made so much sense to the story. Although Malcolm III was not Macbeth’s immediate successor, the first crowing at Scone did occur after Macbeth with his stepson. I find it incredible that they still have the original coronation throne des...

May 4th Evening Blog This evening, after the hike, we had some down time at the hostel. Many of us went into town and shopped around while others stayed at the hostel or explored the mountains some more. Its been a really nice day, the weather warmer than expected this day, which made for a nice evening. The class gathered in the kitchen area of the hostel and cooked dinner. All of us had agreed to make breakfast for dinner, which was an amazing idea. Group activities such as this always have a way of bringing groups together, especially if french toast is involved. After dinner the Macbeth group in the class has planned to do their group activity. The class has gathered in the lounge and was handed group discussion questions to go over. During the discussion the Macbeth group had bursted into the room shouting “King Duncan has been killed!” which made the group activity much more exciting. At this point everyone was handed a clue and the group activity has continued. Each group i...

May 4th Morning Blog This morning we woke up in a hostel in Braemar, Scotland. It's a small village in the middle of beautiful mountains, that surround the area. Today the group had some class time after breakfast to discuss a few important concepts of our travel and of the activities and plays we have seen on the trip so far. This is a nice place to catch up before traveling back to London for the remainder of our trip. Here it is very quiet and relaxing, whereas London is city life. After our class discussion we had time to get lunch. A few of us walked into town that was right around the corner from our hostel, to get lunch. The food here is amazing. People here are much more health conscious than they are in America. Here they don't add a bunch of salt or butter to everything so you can taste the natural flavor in the food. After lunch the class met back up and we went on a hike that took us through the village and up along the mountain. The walk was much more enjoyabl...

For those that don’t know me, I’m Amber. A week and a half before I had to leave the states to go on a trip of a lifetime, I accidentally injured my left knee, severely. As a result of that, the possibility of me going on the study abroad trip wasn’t looking that good. After annoying several different medical professionals, I was given the green light to do this Shakespearean infused adventure. The group and I have been through a lot in the past two weeks. I might have not been able to do as much as I have without the help of my professors and classmates. They have offered me help whenever I could need help. Sometimes I take it and other times I don’t (even thought I should, in all actuality, take it). This brings to mind the one point I want to give to whoever reads this: know your own limitations. If you think you can do it then attempt it, but don’t hurt yourself more while doing so. Two instances of this happening to me so far had completely different results. The first instance ...

Post originally from April 30th: April 30th was our last day (Until we return from Scotland) In London. The plan for the day was packing everything up and have breakfast by 9 AM so we could all check out of the youth hostel. Our luggage was stored in the back room and with our backpacks we split up into groups for some free hours until we all met up in the station for our class portion of the day. Maya, Amber, Savannah, Hailey and I went to Kensington park. This was a location that I had personally been begging to go to so I was very lucky that they wanted to as well. The flat and huge park was unlike any I have ever seen. I am used to paths cutting through a forest but by the look of it all of the trees seemed to be planted and maybe some were naturally there but it had an unique look of all the different trees sprouting up from the existing field. It was beautiful. In Kensington we quickly saw that it was a dog paradise. All sorts of dogs were everywhere -- terriers dashed in cir...

Edinburgh This city is a stark contrast with London.  Where London has had to rebuild from losses sustained in a devastating fire in the 1700’s and the Blitz during WW2, the Scottish capital has had no such losses.  Most of the city buildings, at least where we were staying, look to date back as far as the 18th century and often older.  And nothing was older than the Royal Mile, a stretch of basically ancient road connecting the city’s two palaces.  As you can imagine, this is a huge tourist destination; the whole pedestrian zone was lined with shops promising tartan, well-made scarves and Celtic jewelry.  And food, lots of that.  Even the buildings on the lest populated stretch near Holyrood were covered with baroque columns and look as though they have stood the test of time.  Considering where they are, they have. The entire complex was built on top of a dormant volcano: Holyrood at the bottom and Edinburgh Castle at the crest.  This is esp...

Today, we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland. The trip here began with an overnight train ride in a sleeper car. We were all bustling with excitement as we boarded the train car. For many of us, including myself, it was our first time on a train like that. The rooms were small but not uncomfortable and we were bouncing between each space trying to get a feel for our surroundings. We were aware that we had to be up early in the morning, prepared for the day, so we all tried very hard to turn in early. That was a difficult task for me because I felt like I was going to sleep on Christmas Eve with the level of excitement that was bubbling inside me. The train gently rocked me to sleep and I woke to knocking on our door with the train workers serving us morning tea. The sun was shining through the windows and as we unloaded the car the first thing I saw was the large silhouette of a castle-like structure on the horizon. I would come to find out this was a common theme in Scotland. One of the...

Today was our first full day in London which began with a nice light breakfast in the youth hostel. Once everyone was met, we made our way to the underground where we boarded the tube that would take us to Westminster. As soon as we emerged from the underground station, string us right in the face was Big Ben. It was surreal standing in one of the most iconic cities in the world with one of its most renowned landmarks right in front of me. Then, right around the corner was the sacred and beautifully ornate Westminster Abbey. Built in 960 A.D. and then rebuilt in the 1500s, this immaculate place of worship has stood strong and proud as a Church of England and still is used for services. Somehow the inside of the church is even more intricate and magnificent than the exterior, with all of the glorious memorials, grave sights, and sculptures made from the most extravagant stones and metals. It’s amazing to me how structures such as Westminster Abbey have prevailed through hundreds of year...

April 26th: The morning began with a charming breakfast at several different cafés for those of us who braved the morning air and worthwhile lack of sleep with Paul. Megan, Hanna, and I stopped at a café and ordered drinks. As we opened them to reveal their contents, we all agreed that they reflected our personalities. Megan: a creamy and delicate base with dark chocolate swirls and flings of powder on top. Me: Milky white chocolate bubbles below light pink and pearly marshmallows around freckles of chocolate. Hannah: a flat pool of mocha. We rejoined our traveling family to delight upon pastries and listen to some techno remix in a cute coffee shop. Hannah led us, afterward, to the home of Shakespeare’s birth and early life. On the small town’s horizon, she gestured to a jester holding the two mask of comedy and tragedy. Although the comical character himself represents comedy, he is written into most of Shakespeare’s creations including his tragedies. The human condition, lik...

Today is my 22nd birthday and I will be spending it London! The group starts off the day leaving Stratford and boards a train for London. I like riding the trains. We don’t have that opportunity back in the states. They move fast and I get a great opportunity to experience the beautiful scenery of the U.K. Along the way, everything is a vivid green here and there are fields and pastures with sheep and cattle everywhere. I have never seen so many sheep in my life and I’ve had my fair share seeing farm animals growing up on a farm, myself. We arrive at London and it is a busy city. It reminds me of New York City. It still gets to me-- seeing people driving on the rights side of the car and driving on the opposite side of the road than we do back home. The cars here are mostly similar colors of black, grey, or dark blue. There aren’t many bright colored cars. The police cars here are neon yellow and easy to see unlike home. London is more modernized than the other places we have been t...

Demetria “Meech” McCulloh 24 April 2017                   # issablogentry I didn’t feel before I do now Inspired At ease Deserving I didn't feel before I do now Lost in the clouds Peace in this unknowing English clouds are more fluffy Wilderhope Clouds are touchable Always dreamed of being surrounded by clouds Engulfed in white like it’s my wedding day Floating Breathing Resting This is more than I expected Yet everything I’ve dreamed I didn't feel before I do now Wilderhope youth hostel, Wilderhope’s youth hostel’s view, has made me at peace. It has made me realize that it’s time to dream bigger. I’ve touched the clouds now. I have to reach higher than that. I was grateful since the day I found out I was going on the trip but the thoughts, the thankfulness, the reflection and the inspiration that just being able to see Wilderhope in person, in the flesh, with my own physical eyes was life changing for me. The...

Today, after a few relaxing days in Stratford-upon-Avon, we arrived in London. Being a massive city and tourist attraction, it is definitely a change of pace from the past few days. In Stratford-upon-Avon, I felt comfortable walking the streets, but here, I catch myself hurrying my steps and paying more attention to staying with the eh group than to the sights themselves. There is so much to see and I already feel as through I am missing them, and it is not even our full first day here! Maybe I am just over-reacting. It is very possible. I am known to do that. I am going to keep an open mind regarding London. Who knows? Maybe I will end up loving it like I did with Stratford (even though I loved it since we stepped off the bus). Maybe London is an acquired taste. I just have to give it a chance. Maybe I will end up finding it magical and never want to return to the USA. Besides, I am sitting in the basement on the concrete floor while writing this as my laundry swirls round and round...

On our second day at Wilderhope Manor, we had nothing to do so we did a whole lot of nothing. The weather was perfect: the sun peaked in between rolling clouds, the wind fluttered but didn’t bite. The grass was moist with dew and washed the mud off of our boots, and the fields of rapeseed (bright yellow crops that yield oil) continued for miles upon miles like golden patches on a giant green quilt. Today the As You Like It group (Abbie, Mark, Savannah, and Dana) performed their play with a bunch of stations that each revealed themes of the play, but with fun twists. They really made you think about what the characters were going through and how they were feeling. Our first station was a dating profile and we got to draw and write about AYLI characters. Second was tug-of-war, in which the rope immediately snapped in half on poor Jessica who must be stronger than she thinks! Finally, we played a version of Ghosts in the Graveyard in which we had partners to protect. Lisa and I were par...

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. I hear the alarm underneath my pillow go off and try my best to rouse myself and get out of bed. I am on the top bunk of three bunks crammed into a room with the two other male students on the trip. We are situated on the top floor of the hostel (or the tower, as I affectionately have named it) and I realize that my peers and I must tidy up our room in order to leave. I look below me and see that my friends Patrick and Sam have already gotten a head start on me and are tidying up their sheets and suitcases in preparation for leaving the hostel. This is our first hostel transfer and as I peer over the edge of my bed, I see that I must get moving in order to make it out in time by 10:00am. I check the time: 8:30am. I have time. “Anyone showering?” “Nah man it's all you.” “Sweet thanks,” I holler and clamber into the simple shower. I turn on the electric heater and don’t quite find that sweet spot of hot and cold so I slowly cook as I bathe. I change and...

Blog originally from the 21st: Today we visited Chester. The town is very conscious of its historical role, from Roman times to Medieval. Many pubs are called “Ye Olde” something. The Roman walls surrounding Chester are truly amazing. Despite their simplicity and obvious signs of aging, they are a direct link to ancient times that is striking in a way some of the more recent structures are not. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time at the King's Head, and I enjoyed the historical reference to Charles I, the king who was beheaded because he wasn’t Protestant enough to please Parliament. But the ancient walls, their edges rounded with time, covered by expanses of ivy and draped with delicate pink flowers, are striking in a more visceral way. Trying to imagine the people who laid the foundations and spread the mortar, the guards who patrolled the towers every day, the people who looked up the stones from within their shelter, is almost impossible. The walls simultaneously exude a s...

Greetings from Wales! We are on our way back to Chester after a long day. We had lots of laughs, good drinks, and climbed the tallest mountain we could find. Unfortunately, we have had rather bad luck with travel plans, but we finally made it to our hostel in Chester. Everyone was so relieved to finally set down their luggage and have a good meal. Later, we will have a more updated blog post written by our students. Once we have reliable wifi and more energy! Until then, Jess

Greetings from Cleveland Hopkins Airport! We all made it through security and to our gate. Some of us have stayed put in our seats. Others have bought food, filled water bottles, and used the restroom. Our flight to JFK has probably been delayed until 6:00 PM, so we might miss our planned flight to London. If we do, they will find us another flight. We’re figuring out what to do as we wait. Some of us are preparing for the group projects we’re presenting across the pond. Others are buying food or occupying themselves. At least we don’t need to travel three days between Stratford-upon-Avon and London like Shakespeare did. They didn't have cars, cell phones, tablets, or any other electronics. Our travels options are much more numerous than his were. We will be ok. Here’s hoping the rest of our adventure goes smoother. -Jen

Plane Etiguette We are less than a week out from our departure date! All of our students are very excited to embark on this new adventure. While speaking with students during our last class session, I had one student say this is her first time flying. That's crazy to think when many of us fly multiple times a year. That being said, here are some tips for plane etiquette to make your flying time a little more comfortable! Plane Etiguette 101 Packing Essentials Packing has been a huge concern for many of our students. Trying to determine what is important can be difficult. Traveling for 3 weeks is just enough time to miss some of your everyday conveniences, but not long enough to justify packing your blow-dryer (please leave those home--your hair will thank you). Below are some good lists of travel necessities (give or take some items): Eagle Creek packing list Smarter Travel check-list Interactive packing list Make sure you use your best judgment when packing. ...

This blog will contain posts and images from Hiram College's study abroad trip to England! Here, students will create posts detailing their experiences traveling abroad while studying William Shakespeare and his plays. Stay tuned for lots of photos and some entertaining tales from our trip following the Bard!