Today was our first day in Birmingham City, and although we were all completely exhausted after sleeping in the cold dorms and the uncomfortable airplane, we were so excited to finally arrive. Somehow, despite the lack of sleep and all the traveling, we made it in one piece! After landing, we had to take a 2 hour bus ride to Birmingham. Surprisingly, the bus ride ended up being the highlight of my day because I had the best nap of my life. I think everyone was so tired that the second we sat down, everyone knocked right out.
Once we finally arrived at our hotel, we were told that our rooms weren’t ready yet. Since we had time to spare and went all day without eating, we decided to grab lunch at a bar called O’neill’s. I ordered spinach and cheese stuffed pasta shells with a side of garlic bread, and it was honestly amazing. Everything tasted so warm and comforting after a long day of traveling. Today was also the first day I tried mushy peas, which honestly I was a little nervous about, but surprisingly, they tasted really good! I also got to try some authentic fish and chips for the first time, and now I completely understand why people talk about it so much. It was so good that I already know it is going to be one of my go-to meals while I am here. Even though my stomach definitely did not agree with all the heavy food after traveling, it was worth it.
After lunch, we got a tour of Birmingham City from Dr. Marks, and it was such a wonderful experience. My favorite part of the tour was definitely walking through the canals and seeing all the beautiful rivers and boats because of how peaceful they looked. I also loved looking at all the architecture and historic buildings and statues around the city. It was like everywhere you turned there was another statue or building with a historic background. Even simple streets and shops looked beautiful to me because of how unique everything was here.
During the tour, we also got to walk into an art museum for free, which was really cool. There were so many interesting exhibits to look at, but my favorite section was probably the collection of buttons because there were so many different styles from so many different time periods. I also loved seeing the clothing displays, especially the outfits worn by women years ago in hospital settings. It was also really interesting to compare how much things have changed compared to modern day.
Overall, today was such an exciting and memorable first day in Birmingham. Even though we were exhausted, I already feel like I’ve experienced and learned so much in just one day. From trying new foods to learning about the city’s history, today made me even more excited to be a part of this incredible program! But, after a long and exhausting day, I am definitely having a date with my bed tonight.