After a long plane ride and then a bus ride from the airport, we finally made it to Birmingham! The flight was a little rough, and most of us are exhausted since we barely got any sleep on the plane. I had never flown for that long, so I had a hard time getting comfortable enough to fall asleep. This was my first time leaving the country, so even just being on the flight and navigating the airport was its own interesting experience. Once we landed, we got picked up by a bus and had a 2 hour bus ride to our hotel. For most of the ride, I finally was able to sleep, which was very much needed. After arriving and dropping all of our bags off at the hotel, we got lunch at a pub right down the street. It is very similar to restaurants in the United States with the menu options, but it also seemed to be more of just a casual hangout spot to watch sports. I got the chance to try something called “Mushy Peas”, which I didn’t think I would like, but honestly it was pretty good! This is normally served with the fish and chips. I got a stuffed shells pasta with a side salad, which was very good, but since my body was not used to the time change yet, I wasn’t super hungry. After eating, we went on a walking tour around Birmingham to familiarize ourselves with the city and learn where a few things are. During our walk, we found a few restaurants, shops, and just walkways we want to explore while we are here, so I am excited to have the chance to do that.

This city is filled with all kinds of monuments representing British culture, such as the large Queen Victoria statue. It seemed as though at each open space there was a new statue to look at and learn about its significance to the city. We also walked along the canals that go through the city, which I had no idea existed. There were small skinny boats all along the canal, which I later found out people can live in! When walking around, it took some time to get used to the fact that they drove on the opposite side of the road, since I found myself looking the wrong way at times. After walking around and exploring all of the cultural, shopping, and food areas, we were able to go back up to our rooms and rest. Although it was still pretty early, we were all exhausted and needed a chance to reset before we really get started tomorrow. I am super excited to learn more about their culture and healthcare system, and also just having the chance to explore a new city!