So I am back in the states. I already miss the people in the group and the city, but I am thankful for one of the most amazing, adventurous trips of my life. My favorite part of the trip was the people who I traveled with. We all got to know one another very well and got a chance to network and spend time with with Dr. Terrell, Dr. Rhodes, and Dr. Johnson.

On Sunday we had a ceremony where Dr. Terrell, Dr. Rhodes, and Dr. Johnson expressed their thoughts about the trip and the students. It was encouraging to hear how highly they thought of each one of us and our future expectations. I felt honored when I was offered an internship by Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Johnson. Since I am interested in Student Affairs, Dr. Terrell has offered to help me along the road with anything I may need.

During the trip I was able to reflect on my future and where I want to go in life. It was also nice to hear other students share their goals and dreams they wish to accomplish in life as well. I would, in a split second, go again next year on the trip. I recommend to anyone who is interested in traveling abroad and meeting people from all over the world to be a part of this exciting, educational program. Not only do you get to travel, but you travel with the brightest faculty members and students. I am very pleased with the program this year and look forward to helping out with the program in the future.

Pictures of Cambridge and London

Today is our last day. It has been a relaxing day so far. We are presenting our leadership development plans today. Later tonight we will be taking a night tour of the city. I am hoping to see the "Globe Theatre" and other last minute attractions.

When I get back I will post my favorite pictures and experiences of the trip. Thanks for the comments you all have posted.

I must start off by saying that London is a beautiful city in that it has unique buildings, people, and transportation system. I am learning how to get around the city on the tube and am learning street and building names too.

Yesterday we started our leadership session early around 8a.m. The session focused on ethical issues within organizations and what to do as a leader. Dr. Johnson and Dr. Terrell spoke, while Dr. Rhodes spoke to each individual about our PSI test. We took a "personality" test at the beginning of the trip and were given the results at the end. Dr. Rhodes talked to me about my leadership skills and personality traits. I was able to pin point my strengths and weakness as a leader. I really enjoyed the test because it read me perfectly. This trip has allowed me to grow as an individual and it also has shown me areas in my life I can grow as a person and leader. It also reaffirmes to me my strengths as a person and how to apply those traits to my everyday life. For example, the PSI test pointed out to me that one of my strengths is that I am outgoing, but my weakness is that I am not very patient. I noticed during this trip I have been patient because this is a trait I want to improve on as an individual. It is also interesting to be in a group of strong leaders and to see different personalities mesh with one another. Dr. Rhodes, Dr. Terrell, and Dr. Johnson have taught us a lot. They are always open for discussion and truly care about each one of us and want to see us grow.

Yesterday's activities included;
-Buckingham Palace
-Westminster Abbey
-London Eye
-Big Ben
-Hyde Park
-China Town

Today we had a free day. Clear skies, high 70's.

Today's activities include;
-Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace
-Harrods
-The Tower of London
-Tower Bridge (known as London Bridge to many)
-Shopping

I basically have seen almost everything I wanted to see. I really enjoyed The Tower of London because it provides an amazing glimpse into intrigue; mystery and murder. The Tower was also home to King Henry VIII and many other famous people. One of the most important reasons to visit the Tower is to see the Crown Jewels. This collection is the most famous and priceless exhibition of jewels in the world.

We have seen a lot of famous places in the past two days. I am having a blast and look forward to tomorrows adventures, leadership session, and making more memories with the people on the trip.

So we finally made it to London today. The city reminds me somewhat of N.Y.C., just with smaller buildings and much more history. We are staying at the University College, London in downtown.Touring the city was an adventure. The tube (subways) are very active. This is how we are able to travel around town.

We started off the day with a group session at the University College, London where the student body president spoke to us about his position on campus and talked to us about the University itself. It was nice to get another students perspective about campus activities and to see how their student body functions.

Later in the afternoon a few of us bought half price tickets to go see Mary Poppins Musical at the Prince Edwards Theatre. It was the best musical I have ever seen and our seats were even up close. Before the play we spent a few hours at the British Museum. The museum was so big that we have to go back tomorrow.

Tomorrow we plan on seeing the London Tower and Bridge. Our goal is to try and get a guard to talk to us and to get our picture with them. The weather has been pretty nice, mostly sunny but cold.

I have had a great day and am getting used to the city. This trip has exposed me to new cultures and has given me a chance to grow as a leader but more so as a person.

Well I know, I did not blog yesterday. We have been very busy these past two days. Since we are leaving Cambridge tomorrow at 9:30a.m., we wanted to visit as many places as we could. Honestly, I could stay here much longer, but I feel that we experienced and toured all the places we hoped to see.

Yesterday we toured most of the campus of Cambridge. There are 31 colleges within the University. The colleges that appealed to me the most were King's College, Trinity College, St. Catharine's College, and St. John's College. Our group was split into two groups and a student from St. Catharine's College gave us a tour of the University. I was amazed at how large the University was. Shops, restaurants, theaters, and markets were all located around the University. I found it interesting that each individual college competes against the other colleges within the University. The largest college is Trinity College. The College today consists of a Master; about 160 fellows, most of whom are engaged in teaching; about 320 postgraduate students; and about 650 undergraduates. The College was founded by King Henry VIII in 1546.

Later in the afternoon we went shopping, stores were everywhere. I knew it was expensive over here, but I had no clue it was this expensive...don't let the £(pounds) fool you. For example, if a shirt is £16, in American dollars it would be over $32. Yeah, it is expensive, but I am trying to watch what I spend...

At night we usually go out to eat around 7p.m. After roaming the streets for a half an hour trying to decide where would be the best place to eat, we usually find a little cozy restaurant down the road from were we are staying to kick back and relax. Last night we went to "The Eagle." The food is always great and the portions are large as well.

Each morning we have leadership sessions. Yesterday we talked about the differences between leadership v.s. management and personal leadership development. Today we focused on cultural differences in the world and how we as students can improve diversity issues on campus and in the community. Each session is about 4hrs. long and is compacted. I enjoy learning something new in each session. It is nice to have the resources such as Dr. Terrell, Dr. Rhodes, and Ms. Johnson mentoring us. They are intelligent, kind, and reliable people. During each session they speak about what it takes to be a leader in our organizations and on campus. We break up into small groups and learn more about one another and their opinions on certain topics. We are assigned a personal leadership development activity as well. During the sessions we have tea time and eat biscuits (cookies). After each session we eat in the main cafeteria at St. Catharine's College. I feel that each session is a good length of time and it is nice to have the afternoons and evenings to explore the town.

Every morning when I sit in the conference room for our sessions at St. Catharine's College, I am reminded that the College is older than the United States of America. That blows my mind because I try to picture how many generations of people have been sitting in the same room I am learning in. There is such great history at the University. What a great place to study abroad.

This afternoon all the students and faculty members went 'Punting'. If anyone can guess what this is I am impressed because no one in our group knew what it was- and no it is not punting a football. Instead it is riding in a boat with someone standing in the back and steering it with a long pole. While we were on the boat there were at least 50 other boats in the canal. The ride was suppose to be pretty relaxing, but instead it was adventurous. Boats were running into one another and people were falling out of their boats. Luckily I did not fall, but a guy in a boat next to me did and managed to get me wet. Oh well, it was entertaining.

I am thankful to be a part of such a great program and group members. Everyone brings different characteristics to the table. We all know one another fairly well and are learning each others cultures and different backgrounds. Although we leave for London tomorrow, I will miss the campus and the city. We made many memories, learned much from the sessions, and were able to speak with students from the University. My favorite part about today was touring King's Chapel. It is the largest chapel in the area and is well-known all over the world. I was in shock when I walked into the chapel because it was beautiful and breath taking. Here are just a few interesting facts about the chapel;

-King Henry VI laid the foundation stone of 'The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge' on Passion Sunday, 1441.
-The Chapel took a century to complete.
-The Chapel is the product of three separate periods of construction.
-The Chapel is 88 meters (289 feet) long, 12 meters (40 feet) in span between the piers, and the vault is 24 meters (80 feet) high.
-26 stained glass windows were installed- it took about 30 years to complete.

As you can see I'm having the time of my life... I'm truly grateful and blessed. I will try to post pictures soon. Thanks for all the comments and encouraging words from everyone.

I arrived this morning around 10a.m. tired, yet glad we finally were in England. The flight to England was wonderful, I had four seats all to myself to relax on.

Shortly after I arrived to the Gatwick Airport in London, the other 13 students were all gathered near the North Terminal Curb Side where we met Dr. Pat Terrell and Dr. Fred Rhodes. The ride on the Neal Bus to Cambridge was at least an hour and a half long, but who was counting. We all fell asleep on the way over to our destination.

As we arrived, I was shocked by all the beauty at Cambridge. People were walking and riding their bikes on the streets. The streets were mostly filled with college students and/ or young adults. Their were small shops and pubs at every corner. It was chilly when we arrived, but it only rained for about 5 minutes while we were inside.

The University of Cambridge is an old prestigious school. It was founded in the mid 1400's and is very historical. We were assigned a dorm room once we arrived. We were each fortunate enough to have our own bedroom/bathroom.

At 5p.m. all the students met in the courtyard and walked to the conference room where our first session was held. Here we were introduced to one another and were given an outline of what we should expect to accomplish in the next few days. We were also introduced to the faculty members who were in charge of the program, Dr. Pat Terrell, from University of Kentucky, Dr. Fred Rhodes, from Bellarmine University, and Nancy Johnson, from the University of Kentucky.

I enjoyed the first session very much because I was able to talk to other students from all over the United States and even a few from different countries. It was a comfortable atmosphere because the faculty made the session relaxing and appealing. Dr. Pat Terrell said we are the inaugural class, meaning we are the first students from the United States to be a part of the Student Leaders Study Abroad Institute. This meant so much to me because I am able to experience the start of something fantastic.

Later in the evening all 13 students adventured the roads of Cambridge. The city is exactly what I imagined, small stoned roads, with castles and old buildings. Mostly everyone either walked or rode a bike from one place to the next. We ended up eating at a pub down the road from our dorms. The food was good and the atmosphere was fun. Finally about 11:00p.m. we called it a night.

I love the trip thus far and am looking forward to more fantastic experiences.