The Group
We started the day with a trip to the British Museum. The time went by fast, and soon it was time to meet our tour group. We walked into the lobby of the hotel and found our way up of flight of stairs and into a room with a small group of people that would soon become family. I took a seat at a small table with Madeline and Aunt Molly and did a quick scan of the room. Everybody seemed friendly and maybe a little anxious. As soon as most of the guests had arrived, we started a game of introducing ourselves. We had to stand up at our table and say our name, where we were from, and the place we were most excited about going. This was the first I was glad that we chose a Rick Steves' tour. After our little activity, we picked buddies. Our tour guide, Sarah, explained that instead of doing roll call, we would use a buddy system. I soon found myself with a nice lady who seemed as excited as I was to start the tour. Soon, we were off, exploring the city.
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Tips from a Teen: Meeting New People
- Don't be shy! This is going to be your new family during the duration of your tour.
- Try to talk to people outside of your family. Getting out of your comfort zone will be good for you and your tour group will appreciate the extra effort you are putting in to talk to them.
- Ask questions. Questions are great conversation starters and a great way to get to know your tour group. Try asking what they are excited for, why they chose the tour they are on, have they been to Europe before, etc.
- Smile! Smiling will make you seem friendly and approachable.
After a quick briefing about how to use the Tube, the English subway, we made it to Trafalgar Square. Here, we learned some very interesting history about the square and some facts about London. Then, we walked to St. Martin-in-the-Fields where we created some art using some waxy crayons and paper laid over a piece of brass. They looked like they should be in a museum. After making our pieces of art and talking with our group members, we headed to Ye Olde Chesire Cheese, a restaurant rebuilt in 1667. I got to know most of the kids from our tour group at dinner. We talked to each other, laughed constantly, and, by the end of dinner, became much better friends.
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"We took a double-decker bus to dinner and we ate at Ye Olde Chesire Cheese. I had ordered salad, fish and chips, and a lemon tart earlier in the day. I made some new friends at the table; Taylor, who is fifteen, Eden, who is twelve, Taylor, who is seventeen, and Peyton, who is thirteen. I also sat by an eight year old boy, Ari, who was hilarious. He made the whole table laugh when he was preparing to sing..."
-An excerpt from my travel journal |
Pictures from the Ghost Walk
After our lively dinner, the group went on a Ghost Walk together. The guide for our Ghost Walk was exciting and extremely engaging. He took us on a walk by some of the most haunted areas in London. We listened to him intently while he described murders, famous deaths, and so much more. By the end of the night, it was hard to believe that ghosts didn't exist. After a very long and entertaining day, we said our goodbyes and went back to the hotel to get all the sleep we needed to be prepared for the next day.