A Thanksgiving to Remember

Every year, the English Speaking Union holds a formal Thanksgiving dinner at their headquarters in London for current scholars, alumni, and friends of the organization. You won't be surprised that I had been counting the days to this event-- after all, who doesn't love a trip to one of the largest and most culturally vibrant cities in the world? Despite regretting not spending the holiday with family as usual, I considered this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I could just not miss out on. So, I played hooky this past Friday and instead hopped on a train to stay in Great Britain's capital for the weekend.

Andrew, Bella, and Caitlin in the fancy chairs.

The (almost complete) group of all ESU scholars, looking spiffy.

The dinner itself was magnificent. After spending 5+ hours on a train (and more on a bus), I was grateful to have some good food and a chance to dress up a little. I met some new scholars and alumni, but also reunited with some old Culver friends-- Alice Dendy, Nate Vandevelde, Evan Fischer, and Alex Kerr-- which was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip. The ESU Debate Team made an appearance after dinner, igniting a lively discussion on the American Dream (which was, well, quite relevant in light of recent events).

 But the night wasn't over. Many pictures later, and of course after a bad rendition of the Culver Song from its alumni, a group of us decided to go to a bar in The Shard, a famous skyscraper in the heart of the city. It also must be said here that I was personally asked to show my ID not once, not twice, but three times, which was quite offensive. But it certainly was fun, just kids in the midst of millionaires, sharing £20 pound cocktails and enjoying the spectacular view of the city.

Apparently this is only the back of Buckingham Palace. That said, it's still Buckingham Palace.

Yes, that is a nose in the wall. There are 35 of them all over London, protesting the "nosiness" of the government. Heh.

The next day, Tricia, Evan and I got up early to catch a free walking tour of the city. Having never been in London, I enjoyed the opportunity to see as much as I could of the city and learn about its past. The tour did live up to our expectations, and then some: we were able to see Buckingham Palace, the real Nocturne Alley from Harry Potter, St. James' Palace, the Palace of Westminster, the London Eye, and so much more. The tour guide was hilarious, and also akin to a walking encyclopedia of British history. When we became cold and hungry, we diverged from the tour and treated ourselves to some delicious noodles.

Tricia, Evan and me in Trafalgar Square, the "center" of London.

The funny Canadian tour guide. 

It was excellent timing for the new movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" to be in theaters at the time when we were in London: what better place to see a Harry Potter movie (ironically, this one takes place in the US, but who cares)? So we made our way up to Piccadilly Circus to buy our tickets, but not before shopping shopping around a bit first. After a visit to the famous M&M's World and an outside Christmas market, we enjoyed an IMAX 3D showing of the film (which was indeed fantastic).

Four stories of chocolatey, crunchy goodness.

One fantastic Indian dinner later, we were content to wander slowly back to our hostel. However, inspired by the magic of the wonderful world of Harry Potter, a trip to the real Platform 9 and 3/4 was definitely in order. After Evan graciously took pictures of Tricia and me at the famous location, we spent a liberal amount of time inside the neighboring merchandise shop. It was quite a peaceful night, but that was what we wanted.

The next day, I was on a train back to Scotland, filled with gratefulness and happiness despite having caught a rather nasty cold. I hope that this will not be the last time in London, and now that I know more scholars based in England, I might very well plan another visit later in the year. It was so great to see some familiar faces, and I really felt a connection with the other scholars that came. But I'm also not forgetting my home in Indiana, and all those who made it possible for me to be here. Let's just say that this Thanksgiving, I couldn't be more grateful.