Before I left for London, I bought this newfangled iPod in New York City, and without even telling it to keep track, it tells me I’ve walked 101,358 steps since 29 June 2016, the day our study abroad odyssey officially began. My stressed-out belt got some relief, and now, after holding up my jeans all around the city, it’s tightened up up a notch. For those of you who need the math, according to my iPod, 101,358 steps is 48.35 miles, which comes out to about 8 miles per day of walking. Along with my relieved belt, I’ve seen and been to Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Museum of London (twice), Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Kingston (where the classrooms are), the Kingston Museum, Surbiton (where the residence hall is), Fleet Street, Trafalgar Square (had to avoid a protest opposing the UK’s exit from the EU [check the news!]). l’ve eaten the best Indian food of my life, but it can’t keep me as fat. I’ve been walking enough, and I want more. I’m sleeping well and eager for the next new day, and the next, and the next….
I made a fast friendship with a woman from Namibia who shares my love for art, and somehow, we also share a sense of humor. She says, “Dude!” and “Back in the day….” We’re suite-mates in the residence hall, and we’ve already shared several meals of KFC in the middle of the night (but still, the pounds stay off!) She’s works in the curatorial department of the National Art Gallery of Namibia. We’re both taking the Museums and Galleries course. In what better place or from what better person could I get a better real-world accounting of art museum practices outside of the US? Amazing. This are the things I couldn’t predict, I cherish.
I could go on about the all the other people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made from all over: Amsterdam, Michigan, St. Louis, Australia, Manchester (UK), and Queens (NY). I could talk about the anticipation I still have for upcoming trips to Ireland, Paris, and all the many museums.
And on top of all that, I’ve seen now, the same mangy limping fox for the the past three nights, outside, roaming the grounds of my residence hall. It ignores me, does it’s thing (looks for food) without one movement toward or away from me the whole time. I like it, and it makes me invisible.
I'm a senior second-degree student at SUNY New Paltz. I have a dual-major in art history and creative writing, and I'll be studying abroad at Kingston University, London, during the summer of 2016. I'll be taking a Literature of London course and a Museums and Galleries course.
One Week Down
Before I left for London, I bought this newfangled iPod in New York City, and without even telling it to keep track, it tells me I’ve walked 101,358 steps since 29 June 2016, the day our study abroad odyssey officially began. My stressed-out belt got some relief, and now, after holding up my jeans all around the city, it’s tightened up up a notch. For those of you who need the math, according to my iPod, 101,358 steps is 48.35 miles, which comes out to about 8 miles per day of walking. Along with my relieved belt, I’ve seen and been to Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Museum of London (twice), Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Kingston (where the classrooms are), the Kingston Museum, Surbiton (where the residence hall is), Fleet Street, Trafalgar Square (had to avoid a protest opposing the UK’s exit from the EU [check the news!]). l’ve eaten the best Indian food of my life, but it can’t keep me as fat. I’ve been walking enough, and I want more. I’m sleeping well and eager for the next new day, and the next, and the next….
I made a fast friendship with a woman from Namibia who shares my love for art, and somehow, we also share a sense of humor. She says, “Dude!” and “Back in the day….” We’re suite-mates in the residence hall, and we’ve already shared several meals of KFC in the middle of the night (but still, the pounds stay off!) She’s works in the curatorial department of the National Art Gallery of Namibia. We’re both taking the Museums and Galleries course. In what better place or from what better person could I get a better real-world accounting of art museum practices outside of the US? Amazing. This are the things I couldn’t predict, I cherish.
I could go on about the all the other people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made from all over: Amsterdam, Michigan, St. Louis, Australia, Manchester (UK), and Queens (NY). I could talk about the anticipation I still have for upcoming trips to Ireland, Paris, and all the many museums.
And on top of all that, I’ve seen now, the same mangy limping fox for the the past three nights, outside, roaming the grounds of my residence hall. It ignores me, does it’s thing (looks for food) without one movement toward or away from me the whole time. I like it, and it makes me invisible.
Darren Lyons
I'm a senior second-degree student at SUNY New Paltz. I have a dual-major in art history and creative writing, and I'll be studying abroad at Kingston University, London, during the summer of 2016. I'll be taking a Literature of London course and a Museums and Galleries course.
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