London A-Term Reflection- Callista Wilson

London A-Term Reflection

Callista Wilson

30 March 2019

Traveling to London alongside my classmates and teachers from the Post Oak School has been a significant experience in terms of the development of both my knowledge and identity. Our adventures in London allowed me to better understand the deeper meanings behind many globally recognized landmarks. Also, spending time with the same group of people for ten consecutive days caused me to become more familiar and appreciative of each person’s characteristics. For instance, it was interesting to hear each person's perspective about the places we visited, and my experience of each site was made meaningful by not only my personal reactions, but also by the people I shared each moment with. On top of this, traveling to London for the first time since living there four years ago felt more sentimental than I could have ever anticipated. For this reason, the A-term provided me with a greater sense of closure regarding my previous time in London, which makes my current life in Houston feel more firmly rooted and supported.


Many of the sites we visited during the trip were completely new to me, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn so much new information. Specifically, this trip gave us all the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with many interesting details about the history, politics, architecture, landscape, and culture of a city which has had a major influence on the rest of the world.


One of the most interesting, yet unplanned, experiences of the trip was touring the House of Commons and House of Lords on the same day that over one million people from all across the United Kingdom gathered to march on Parliament in opposition of Brexit. That day felt thematically perfect as we spent the morning learning about the function of British politics, and we spent the afternoon witnessing a significant political event unfold before our very selves. We truly felt right in the middle of it all, and many of us has never seen a protest in person before. For this reason, it was so was intriguing to watch thick clusters of British people of all different ages march together with bold signs, dignified flags, and spirited chants. In the evening, we gathered in one of our apartments, and had an equally intriguing seminar about our impressions of the protest. This seminar was memorable and important as I learned more about myself and others by discussing each of our personal takeaways regarding the purpose and effectiveness of the protest.


In terms of the city’s architecture, I found it absolutely breathtaking to explore historic structures such as Stonehenge, St. Pauls Cathedral, Windsor Castle, and Hampton Court Palace. I found these sites truly incredible as it is mind-twisting to imagine how they were built with the relatively limited technology of their time. At many of the historic sites, I found it interesting to learn about some of the current preservation methods which are being utilized to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to witness historically important pieces of architecture. The current work being done to save many of these sites is important because preserving history should be viewed as preserving primary sources of knowledge. For example, the spire of Salisbury Cathedral is so heavy, that it is visually obvious that some of the interior support beams are bending. For this reason, engineers are currently using modern technology to prevent these columns from continuing to cave inwards.


In terms of landscape, many people make the assumption that London is completely concrete; however, there are in fact many parks which take up tens to hundreds of acres. For instance, parks including Hyde Park and the Queen’s botanical gardens at Kew serve as a great contrast to the constant motion and pollution of the city. At both of these locations, there are so many blossoming flowers and trees, many peaceful walkways, and many elegant swans (which are owned by the queen).


Another significant part of the trip was visiting the International Community School in London, where my sister and I previously attended. For me, this school represents one of the first major changes that I was required to overcome, and it is a place where many parts of my current identity were formed. Similarly, walking into the building immediately made me feel the impact of two worlds colliding. For the first time ever, I got to stand in the same room as students and teachers from both Post Oak, and ICS (and even some students from St. Stephens Episcopal; another school I have attended). While at ICS, we had the opportunity to interact with many of the students and teachers. Following this, we exchanged presentations about how each IB school works, we compared and contrasted the two schools, and we also sat in on one of their Literature classes. My experience returning to ICS felt surreal, as although so much has changed between when I attended and now, each of the corridors and winding staircases stayed exactly the same.


Further, it was impactful to visit the stunning White Cliffs of Dover, which are made of chalk and located along the English Channel, as they played a significant role throughout many British wars. For example, they served as a base during the evacuations from Dunkirk during World War II, and many tunnels within the cliffs were converted into bunkers during the Cold War. Experiencing the cliffs was special as I had kept them in my mind throughout the planning process of this trip as a symbol of motivation, and as a symbol of turning this trip into a reality. Consequently, as we approached the shimmering white cliffs, I felt nothing but elation. As we hiked down some steep and rigid pathways, we worked as a team to ensure that we were all safe. Also, we took what felt like thousands of pictures, and we each made sure to grab a small piece of chalk as a souvenir. Relating to this, we got the opportunity to experience other sites which also relate to WWII by walking through the many complicated floors of the battleship: HMS Belfast, which was used during Winston Churchill’s “Operation Dynamite”. We also went into the Churchill War Rooms: the underground base of Churchill’s wartime administration.


Another unique experience of this trip was having an evening of glamour by eating dinner near Leicester Square, and seeing the longest running play in the world: The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (who is only out-published by the Bible). We were joined by a friend that my sister and I have kept in contact with (her name is Elena Gupta), and we engaged in lively conversation in regards to catching up, and referring back to many memories we shared from four years ago.


This trip was also a great way for me to bond with other members of the Post Oak community, as we participated in many unique activities such as reenacting the “Canterbury Tales”- we did this by having a storytelling competition while on the bus ride to Canterbury Cathedral. Additionally, we shared many memorable conversations and discussions (some serious, and some comical), which gave me a great opportunity to get to know each person on a more articulate level. Lastly, Sierra turned sixteen on this trip, and North turned eighteen on this trip, meaning that we had two mini birthday celebrations!


Overall, I can easily say that this trip was the highlight of my year, and it felt truly magical and incredible to share my love for the city of London with some of the students from the Post Oak community. It is my hope that their experience in London impacted them in a similar way that it impacted me while living there in the past.