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| London Eye view at sunset |
Hey hey!
It's been an eventful past month! In my previous post I wrote about my trip to Madrid and then mentioned that my exchange student would be coming over a few weeks after. Well, it's all over now and today I simply wanted to share with you a few photos and things that we did together. Perhaps it will give you ideas if you're planning on doing an exchange too!
The day of her arrival: That night we went out to Wagamama to celebrate my best friend's birthday which was absolutely lovely. It gave my friends a chance to get to know my exchange as well as us two having some bonding and catching up time as well.
Day 2: After school all the exchange students went to the park where some played football whilst others visited a palace in the woods to take photos.
Day 3: This was a Friday and therefore after their day out in central London with their school, many of the exchange students all went to a nearby shopping centre to hang out and look around the shops after school.
Day 4: As a big group many of the exchanges went to Camden Town to look around the market and of course...get their first ever bubble tea!
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| View from the Millennium Bridge at night |
Day 5: This day I took my exchange to Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street to allow her to truly get the feel of "London shopping". We went to clothes shops as well as a tea shop called "Whittard" and the "Disney Shop" (most fun I've had in years...). Later in the evening just the two of us went on the London Eye where we watched the sun set. It was a truly magnificent view and we could not have gone at a more perfect time. To go home, we got a bit lost finding our way to Waterloo Station (oops...) so instead we walked towards the next station over the Millennium Bridge in the dark which once again was incredible.
Day 6: This day they spent the whole day and evening out visiting London with their school which therefore meant they were too tired to do anything. But hey, it's always nice to stay indoors too!
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| I'm not looking too attractive there... |
Day 7: This was the final day before our friends left to return to their homes in Madrid. After a small party at school, we all returned home and met up later in the evening to waste all our money in the arcade and eat dinner together at Nandos. Table for 22 please!
As I already said in my previous post, I would honestly 100% recommend doing an exchange. It can feel daunting to go on your own to stay with strangers however it really is much easier than it seems. I was terrified of the idea of having to trust people I've never met but both my host family and my exchange student turned out to be some of the most warm hearted people I've met (and I'm not just saying that!). If the language barrier is an issue for you, don't worry! Your host family will be understanding and at the end of the day, your purpose of being there is to improve your speaking in the language anyway. Believe me when I say this, both hosting and going abroad are truly once in a lifetime experiences and you never know, you just might meet your new best friend!
Sharleen x
