Interior of an LNER train carriage with red seats and overhead luggage racks filled with suitcases and travel bags. A person stands in the aisle speaking to seated passengers, while several travelers look on from nearby seats.

View from the LNER train of Jess organizing us to get off and help each other with bags

After an amazing time in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Northeast of England, we all boarded the train in Newcastle on Saturday morning – headed to London! With so many people to board, and so many large bags, we split up and worked together to make sure all the bags were stored properly. Again, so many thanks to Jess McIvor for coordinating all of us!

A metal platter lined with a green banana leaf holds several pieces of charred, spice-crusted grilled meat on the bone, garnished with scattered pomegranate seeds. A small metal jug of orange dipping sauce sits beside the meat. The platter is placed on a checkered tablecloth, with a basket of toasted flatbread on the right and additional dishes partially visible in the background.

Delicious Indian food at Dishoom in London

A three-hour journey later, and we arrived at King’s Cross Station in London: a quick 5-minute walk from the John Dodgson student accommodations at UCL. You may well have heard about the heatwave in Europe, and it was HOT! But we bonded together, hung out on the sidewalk in the cooler evening air, drank a lot of water, and learned tips and tricks from tour member Dara Carney-Nedelman, who served as an ETA in Laos.

The stage set for Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at the Duke of York’s Theatre, viewed from the auditorium. An ornate cream-and-gold Victorian interior with decorative plasterwork, balconies, and a chandelier frames the stage. Suspended above the darkened set are lighting rigs, speakers, and technical equipment. At center stage, a contemporary lighting installation of two intersecting glowing loops hangs against a black backdrop, surrounded by small pink illuminated spheres.

The stage set for Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at the Duke of York’s Theatre

With a free afternoon/evening on Saturday and a free day all of Sunday, we went separate ways, hung out in small groups, and explored the city. Some of us watched the World Cup, many of us went to the theater, almost all of us did laundry, and a lot of people checked out Portobello Market in Notting Hill, the British Museum, and the V&A. It was nice to get some rest, explore the city, and get a better sense of what it would be like to be a student in London.

We have more exploring to do in London – and three more universities to visit – before we head north again!

– Christie Harner, she/her, NAFA Trip Leader
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education for Fellowships and Scholars Programs at Dartmouth