As my time here in London and at UCL comes to an end, I have been able to reflect on my favorite places that I have visited and have become a part of my routine while abroad. I finished up classes at the end of March so I have been keeping myself busy by exploring the city, while also doing some school work. I went on some trips early in April and I loved every minute of them, especially when I went to Wales and ran a half marathon, which was one of the best experiences of my life. But as the end of April drew near I had to start getting more serious about my school work so I needed to create a routine that would allow for me to be productive. Part of this routine was finding a quiet place to do work, this ended up being the British Library, which is one of my favourite places that I have found while I have been abroad. The British Library has provided me with a safe, comfortable, and quiet place where I have been able to be productive and focused. It is only a 15 minute walk from my UCL accommodation, making it the perfect place to do work while also getting a little exercise in. I have taken advantage of the readers pass that the British Library offers, providing me with a great place to do work. I am honestly so sad that I won’t be able to do work here anymore but it has made me realize how I need to take advantage of the libraries in DC.
Another one of my favorite places is Regent’s Park. This park will always be special to me as it is the park where I trained for my half marathon and I saw it through winter and spring. Even going for an evening walk or having a picnic there has provided me with so much joy, making me appreciate the green spaces in cities, which is something that London does so well. I can’t believe that I will go for my last run there soon but it makes me excited to go back to DC and run around the monuments again!
In my free time I have been spending my time reading on my kindle, which I rarely leave my accommodation without. This brings us to one of my favorite places to read, the tube. It may seem unconventional but the tube is actually quiet most of the time and everyone is minding their own business. Even if my commute is just 10 minutes I can pull out my kindle and enjoy my book. I will miss my time on the tube and being able to explore such a large city so easily but I am excited to get back to DC and use my upass again cause the London tube is expensive.
A place that I have recently been able to enjoy has been Hampstead Heath which is a quick tube ride from my UCL accommodation. The park and the surrounding neighborhoods are lovely and have been such a great place to enjoy the beautiful weather that London has been having the last few weeks, making this my favorite place to take a walk. Growing up my family would take a lot of walks on the weekend around our local parks and Hampstead Heath has reminded me of these walks that we used to take, making it a very special place to me. I even went for a run there recently which was incredible.
Now onto some of the things that I have gotten up to in between doing my coursework. Since I was able to travel a lot in the beginning of the term, I felt like I hadn’t gotten to fully enjoy London, so I have spent a few days walking around London and discovering new places. One place that really stuck out to me and will be a place that I definitely recommend to anyone visiting London is Hampton Court Palace. This historical site is outside the city but definitely worth the 40 minute train ride. I visited one day and it was absolutely incredible, I totally could have spent more time there. It is famous for being the home to King Henry VIII and his six wives and it was so cool to learn about their lives there. It is an amazing space that has been a huge part of history and I feel so lucky to be able to explore it. One thing that really got me excited about being there was that it is a filming location for Bridgerton, which made the experience that much better.
Lastly I want to mention my favorite London landmark, Big Ben, also known as Elizabeth Tower. This is my favourite landmark because it truly is magical to look at no matter what time of day or the weather. I will never forget walking out of Westminster tube station and seeing it. It truly is a magical building.
Overall, my study abroad experience has been amazing and I am so grateful to GW, my professors for helping me get this opportunity, and UCL for being such a great host institution. London will forever be one of my favorite cities and I am so grateful that I was able to create a life here but I can’t wait to be back in DC in the fall and share stories of my experience with everyone!
Claudia Brelsford
Spring 2025
GW Exchange - University College London
Columbian College of Arts and Science
Biology Major