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Home » Latest Posts » A Tale from Abroad: I Expected Notting Hill and Wound Up in Murder Mile
Student Travel

A Tale from Abroad: I Expected Notting Hill and Wound Up in Murder Mile

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Sydney Foster   September 28, 2018

Boarding my plane to London, I imagined myself stepping onto British soil and immediately channeling my inner Bridget Jones. I pictured myself living in a pastel colored building à la Notting Hill, walking the old cobblestone streets, forcing myself to like tea and maybe even find my own Mr. Darcy.

But upon arrival to my flat, I realized that my rosy-eyed view of life abroad was already crumbling down.

My university was located in Mile End which is infamously nick-named “Murder Mile” as a result of it being home to Jack the Ripper. My flat consisted of private bedrooms, a kitchen that was always overflowing with dirty dishes and a communal bathroom that was never stocked with toilet paper.

Luckily, I found plenty to explore outside of my small flat. One of my favorite days abroad was a solo trip I took into the heart of London during my last week.

I was in search of Temple Church which is the burial place for the knight, William Marshall, whom I had read about extensively in a history class I was taking. One of my favorite things about being abroad was being able to visit magnificent churches and cathedrals. As a history buff, I also reveled in visiting the sites of major historical characters and events I had learned so much about.

I got off the tube at Temple station and made my way into the chilly December streets of London. I made my way to the church but when I came up to the big doors, I heard that the choir was practicing inside for a Christmas concert. Not wanting to disturb them, I left only having received a glimpse of the outside of the beautiful building.

Snow began to fall as I made my way away from the church, unsure of my next destination, but I didn’t mind. I took in the scene of Londoners just going about their day completely unaware that I was a temporary visitor who was soon to leave the city I had fallen in love with.


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I came across a market where I purchased a hot plate of pad Thai. I sat by myself eating my meal, surrounded by other Londoners on their lunch break and found myself feeling like I was right where I was supposed to be. I didn’t even mind returning to my somewhat dingy flat.

Studying abroad can often come with perceived pressures to explore and do as much as possible. As much as this is true, I grew exhausted with the idea that every activity I undertook during my time in England had to be picture perfect. In fact, most of my adventures involved missteps like getting on the wrong train or arriving to a museum right as it closed. But these memories make for the greatest stories to share and also reflect reality.

Even if I didn’t actually start drinking tea, or experienced a meet-cute in Hyde Park or live in the most glamorous part of town, I found that my misadventures led to some of my most memorable moments and allowed me to experience London in a way that is only my own.

About Sydney Foster

Sydney is a senior at the University of Denver studying Film Studies and Production. She enjoys hiking, photography and wishes that Leslie Knope was her best friend.

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