Today was our last day in London, which meant it was our final day in England! It’s so insane to think about how fast these past two weeks have gone. We’ve learned so much that will be so valuable to our careers as nurses and I’ve had so much fun getting to know our group here. We’ve all gotten so close, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the experiences we’ve had.
We started our day by riding the London Underground to Waterloo station, where we got off close to the Florence Nightingale Museum. This was my first experience with the underground tube, and it was cool to get a closer look at Nightingale’s life. The museum talked about Nightingale, who was one of the big people who introduced hand washing and played a huge part in establishing hospital hygiene. Florence Nightingale was also a huge pioneer for evidence-based practice, which helped lay the foundation for future generations of nursing.
After the museum, we walked towards the London Eye, where we all got some cute photos with Big Ben and the Parliament building in the background. The buildings were so beautiful, and you could tell that it was the main attraction. We then walked over the bridge down to Westminster Abbey, which had gorgeous outside detailing. After that, we walked a little way to Buckingham Palace. We got some photos by the gold-detailed gate, which were cute. We were a little disappointed because the guards standing outside did not have any horses with them, and they were so far away. It’s crazy to think that some of the Royal Family live there, and the security precautions that are being taken for a tourist destination.
For lunch, we decided to go to the Hard Rock Cafe, but this one was special because it was the first store to open up. Inside, there were a bunch of little signed goodies of guitars, records, etc, from popular artists back a couple of decades ago. For dessert, we popped into this dessert shop called Leto, which had authentic cheesecakes, cakes, and desserts. Katie and I actually split a tiramisu, which I’ve got to say has been the best dessert I’ve had this entire trip. We spent the rest of our free time strolling around and popping our heads into whatever store seemed interesting until we all met up at 7 for Mamma Mia!
I have to say that the play was so unbelievably good! It was such a great experience! All the actors had insane vocals, and you can tell how hard they worked for this musical. I was so shocked by the actor who sang Winner Takes It All, she was absolutely amazing; her singing gave me chills. The musical ended with a sing-along of some of ABBA’s biggest hits from the movie, which was so fun. We were all living it up and dancing and giving the cast the standing ovation they deserved.
Through these past two weeks, we have learned countless lessons and made countless memories with one another. I can’t believe that we’re all done, but I know our friendships will last for a long time. Couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity! Thank you, England!