End of Semester Activities

When planning out my last week abroad, I tried to combine some of the more popular activities I hadn’t accomplished yet with a final visit to a few of my favorite spots I found along the way. For instance, one of the first things I did in London was get a library card at the Barbican Centre. While I needed a book for one of my classes, I used the library frequently afterward for personal reading and to visit the connecting exhibitions, music shop, and movie theater. I also returned to a family-owned cafe on Whitechapel, my go-to spot from its start as my first meal in London, and to a pub on campus for the final movie trivia night hosted by the KCL Film Society.

Although I tried to avoid focusing only on the commonly branded ‘tourist’ attractions in hopes of navigating London through a more personal lens, there were some spots that I knew I wanted to visit before I left. Having lived in Aldgate during my semester abroad, I frequently passed by the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, just a ten-minute walk from my dorm. I finally entered the Tower, first joining the available Yeoman Warder tours (many of whom work and live in the Tower!) before venturing into the individual towers. From the White Tower fortress and the infamous Bloody Tower to the many ravens flying overhead, the Tower of London was definitely an exciting experience.

While there’s nothing wrong with venturing to these more popular locations and attractions (I’ve been to many in addition to the Tower of London), I also think it’s important to make an effort to explore the city you’re living in outside of these destinations. Rather than just visiting London, I would be living there and wanted to approach my semester with this mindset. The tourist spots are a great baseline for navigating the city and its history, but the moments I felt closest to London happened spontaneously. Joining a library and film society or finding the cafe that became one of my favorite dining places were not things I had planned to check off, but that made them matter more. The combination of these experiences, the landmarks I knew I wanted to visit and the surprises along the way, provided a fantastic end to my overall semester.


Taylor Kirby
GW England - King's College London (GW Study Program)
Spring 2024
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Biology and English Double Major