Welcoming the New Prince of Cambridge!

Paint the town blue! It’s a boy!

This is my final week in London, and boy has it been exciting so far! I have been enjoying my time here more than I could have expected, but the closer it gets to the end of my program, the further the city keeps pulling me in. When I first planned my summer in London, I didn’t even realize the number of amazing experiences I would be in town for: the Queen’s birthday parade, the Globe Theater, Wimbledon, and now the birth of Prince George Alexander Louis!

It’s been another incredible week. I went to Ireland for the first time, and it was beautiful! They had been having a little bit of a drought, but it was still green and gorgeous. We took a bus tour one day that took us through the Irish countryside and to the Cliffs of Moher, which are indescribably beautiful. I couldn’t fully comprehend them while I was there! We also took a bike tour of Dublin (where we were staying) and got a good feel for the city. But my favorite part of Dublin was Trinity College. Because I go to Trinity University in San Antonio, I was determined to make a stop to see the campus. It was so awesome getting to compare the two, as my university is much newer and Trinity College is much more historic. I didn’t have much time to spend there, but I was mistaken as a student and asked directions to the student union building! I considered telling him where the one in San Antonio was, but I decided that would only be amusing for me.

The most exciting part of my week was Kate Middleton giving birth! I woke up Monday morning to the news that she was in labor. I was so glad to hear it because I wanted to be here for the birth! My classmates and I waited anxiously all day, checking any kind of live news sources when we could. Later that day, we heard that she had given birth to a boy! We rushed over to Buckingham Palace to see the birth announcement (as it was only there for 24 hours) and to celebrate. I have never been a part of something so large and historic. This is the future King of England!

I had seen the media camped out by the Palace the night before, but it was so different seeing them in action. I heard people around me saying they had been interviewed by CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and news channels from around the world, like South Africa and Singapore. People were popping champagne bottles, bringing flowers and stuffed animals to leave by the announcement, and bonding together over their excitement for the country. In order to celebrate, London decorated the city and its landmarks in blue or the country’s national colors. To top the night off, a huge thunderstorm began, which the city has desperately needed. It was a fantastic day!

As I write this post, I am officially done with classes. I took my last exam today, and it still hasn’t hit me! This summer has gone by so fast, and I’m having a hard time believing that I’m going to have to say goodbye to some of my friends. But not to worry, we’re all planning trips to see each other in the future! Luckily everyone lives in what sound like pretty awesome places. This summer is definitely one for the books!