This is the fifth article in the series, “Tea with Mielke,” written by CUW student Hannah Mielke. The series chronicles Mielke’s study abroad adventures in England.
Discovering England
One of the hardest balances about studying abroad is trying to balance when to travel to other countries and when to stay in the UK and explore all of the beautiful cities near me!
The beauty about living here is that traveling to different cities within the UK is so easy because trains are so easily accessible. Day trips have become a great way to fill an open weekend or a day during the week where I don’t have class!
RELATED: Tea with Mielke: Culture Shock
One of the first trips we did when we got here was going to see Stonehenge and a tour of Bath all within the same day! This was a day trip planned through my study abroad program at Westfield House with a tour guide and a driver. Meaning all I had to do was show up! It was so interesting learning about both of those places and recognizing the significance that each place has in the history of the UK. Bath was a very unique city to walk around, the structure and architecture of the city is extremely different than what Cambridge has to offer. A lot of it was rebuilt after WWII but they rebuilt it in a way that was similar to its original structure. It’s also a very “posh” area to live in.
Another day trip we took was to the Cliffs of Dover, in southern England. The cliffs were somewhat similar to what you would think Ireland would look like. We walked about 13 miles that day with all the walking we did around the city along with walking around the cliffs. From the top of the cliffs, we were able to see France which I was not expecting! It appears to be an area where cruise ships go in and out of because of the short distance to France.
We’ve taken two day trips down to London and between each trip we’ve gotten to see the main sights that London has to offer. For example, we’ve seen Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Camden Market, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the British Museum and Library, and Buckingham Palace. There are so many amazing and historical places to see within London that we will never run out of things to do there! It takes less than 50 minutes by train to get to London so it’s a great way to spend a free afternoon!
Another great day trip we’ve taken was to York! The original wall that surrounded the city is still there and you can walk on top of the wall all the way around the city. We slowly worked our way along the wall throughout the day while stopping at a café that is inside the wall. We walked around in the Old Town, stopping in the different markets they had going on. York was one of the more relaxed day trips that we’ve taken!
The best part about these day trips is that every night you are still able to come home and sleep in your own bed. You get to travel and explore a new city and still end up back in your bed. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Where to?
CUW students, you have dozens of study abroad opportunities at your fingertips. Where will you go?
—This article is written by Hannah Mielke who is in her senior year as a Director of Church Ministries major at Concordia University Wisconsin. She’s currently on a 16-week study abroad experience to England. “Tea with Mielke” chronicles her adventure and shares some of the life lessons she’s learning along the way.