We started off our Tuesday by walking to the train station. Throughout the entire day, it rained on and off, which was not the best. My umbrella also would not cooperate with me because it was very windy outside, so trying to stay dry became a challenge. Even with the rainy weather, it still felt exciting to travel around and continue exploring new places.

Today we traveled to Stratford-upon-Avon where we took a walking tour about William Shakespeare. This is the place where Shakespeare grew up, so it was very interesting to walk through the town and learn more about his life and history. Throughout the tour, we saw many important statues, churches, and other historical sites connected to Shakespeare and the town’s history. It was a very neat experience to see so many historic landmarks and learn more about one of the most famous writers in the world.

At the high school I attended, we did not learn a lot about William Shakespeare, but I had heard of him before. I mostly knew about Romeo and Juliet, but I did not really know much about his personal life or history. Taking this tour exposed me to much more about his life and helped me better understand why he is such an important historical and literary figure.

As we continued the tour, we got to go inside one of the theaters that William Shakespeare would have been in. We were even standing on the same flooring that he would have once stood on, which was really cool to me. It was interesting to think about how much history had taken place there over the years. Now I can say that I stood in the same place that William Shakespeare once did, which made the experience feel even more special and memorable.

After most of the tour, we stopped to grab a bite to eat and walk around a little more. I was starving and also pretty cold from being outside in the rainy weather all day. We found a really good place to eat, which was nice after all of the walking. I also got a hot chocolate to warm me up, and it was very good. It definitely helped make the cold weather a little more enjoyable.

After eating, we walked around all of the little shops throughout Stratford-upon-Avon. It was really fun to explore and look through all of the different stores. While we were walking, we passed a gelato shop and could not resist stopping in to get some. The gelato was really good and was a fun little treat during the day. My favorite flavor of gelato is pistachio, so that is the flavor I got. Everywhere I go, I always end up choosing pistachio because it is my favorite.

After lunch, we got to tour Shakespeare’s Birthplace, which was my favorite part of the day. It was really interesting to walk through the house where William Shakespeare grew up and learn more about what life was like during that time period. Seeing the rooms, furniture, and historic details made the experience feel much more real and personal. It was definitely one of the coolest and most memorable parts of the trip so far.

Walking through Shakespeare’s Birthplace was really interesting because so much of the house was still original, including the flooring. I was also surprised by how large the house and rooms were, especially for that time period. We got to walk throughout the entire house and see all of the different rooms while tour guides explained more about William Shakespeare and his life. It was a super cool experience and also a nice break from the rain outside.

After we finished the tour, we of course walked around the gift shop, which had a lot of really cool things to look at. After that, we headed back to catch the train. We had never been on this train before, but I actually did not mind it at all. It was nice to sit down and relax for a little while after such a busy day full of walking and exploring.

I am very excited because we are heading to London tomorrow, so I spent most of the evening packing up as our time in Birmingham is coming to an end. It honestly feels strange knowing that we are already leaving because it feels like we just arrived. Over the past week, I have gotten used to the area, the routine, and all of the experiences we have had here.

It is crazy how quickly the week went by. The days themselves felt long because we were constantly doing activities, walking around, learning new things, and visiting different places, but when I look back on everything, the entire week flew by so fast. I feel like I have learned so much in such a short amount of time, not only about healthcare and education in the UK, but also about the culture, history, and daily life here. Even though I am sad that our time in Birmingham is ending, I am also really excited to experience London!