My London Semester Journals
Here’s the back story of My London Semester Journals from 1996, including what prompted me to revisit and decide to start sharing them here in 2018, which I have continued to do here and there ever since.
And here’s a list of the entries, which I will update as I share them:
JANUARY
Monday, January 1, 1996
My 1st entry in my London Semester Journals from New Year’s Day 1996, when I left Chicago and flew to London! (Shared here on Saturday, September 8, 2018)
Tuesday, January 2, 1996
My 2nd and 3rd entries in my London Semester Journals from 1/2/1996, one on the flight from Chicago to London and the other after arriving and being assigned where I would be living, at Pembridge Gardens in Nottinghill Gate. At that point I was feeling very overwhelmed by what I’d gotten myself into! (Shared here on Sunday, September 9, 2018)
Thursday, January 4, 1996
My 4th and 5th entries in my London Semester Journals from 1/4/1996, in which I share about the orientation I went through for my study abroad program there, learning to navigate London, and my early experiences starting to meet/get to know my fellow American housemates, as well other students in the program. And there was that time my roommate and I tried “Roast Lamb & Mint” Crisps at a pub… (Shared here on Wednesday, September 12, 2018)
Friday, January 5, 1996
My 6th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/5/1996, in which I muse about wanting to have a British Experience in Britain vs. an American one, on a bus trip to Chester, Wales for my “family visit” weekend, through an Experiment in International Living (EIL) program. (Shared here on Saturday, September 15, 2018)
Saturday, January 6, 1996
My 7th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/6/1996, about my first night staying with my host family for a weekend in Brighton/Chester, Wales. The evening didn’t go as I imagined it might and in the best possible way! (Shared here on Tuesday, September 18, 2018)
Sunday, January 7, 1996
My 8th, 9th & 10th entries in my London Semester Journals from 1/7/1996, including my recollection of touring the town of Chester, Wales, starting to get to know some of my American classmates (who were studying abroad with me that semester in London), and a poem/song that I wrote on a the bus ride back to London about my experience, before starting classes at Birkbeck College the next day. (Shared here on Friday, September 21, 2018)
Tuesday, January 9, 1996
My 11th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/9/1996, about my first day of classes at Birkbeck College, including a difficult experience I had getting into a group to work on a class project. I also share some about getting to know my housemates and classmates better. (Shared here on Saturday, September 22, 2018)
Wednesday, January 10, 1996
My 12th & 13th entries in my London Semester Journals from 1/10/1996, about getting to talk to my family and feeling homesick, early experiences in my classes at Birkbeck College, bonding with my roommate, and what happened when there were bed bugs at Pembridge Gardens (where I lived). (Shared here on Saturday, October 6, 2018)
Friday, January 12, 1996
My 14th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/12/1996, about switching to a new section of Classical Architecture (which turned out to be my favorite class that semester), feeling really single in the midst of hanging out with classmates and housemates who had significant others (some even being engaged), and checking out the Newman House in Bloomsbury, in effort to connect with other college students in London who shared my faith. (Shared here on Wednesday, October 10, 2018)
Saturday, January 13, 1996
My 15th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/13/1996, about my roommate and my first time going clubbing together, where we met and hung out with some cute/fun guys, into the wee hours of the morning. I also share about my first trip to the British Museum with one of my new friends/housemates. (Shared here on Thursday, October 11, 2018)
Sunday, January 14, 1996
My 16th, 17th & 18th entries in my London Semester Journals from 1/14/1996, about more of my early adventures with my roommate and other housemates in London, including going to see another play, shopping and to a pub. I also share my struggles in making sense of how new relationships with people, especially objects of our affection, don’t always go as we hope they might. I am not very specific about what happened with the guys we met at a club the previous Friday night, but I do share how I was coping with my disappointment and some deep thoughts about my life/what I wanted from it back then. (Shared here on Thursday, October 18, 2018)
Tuesday, January 16, 1996
My 19th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/16/1996, in which I talk about wanting to read more (outside of school) and going to the Birkbeck College Library, how my new friendships were developing, insights from attending mass at Newman House, and my ongoing search for “that special someone.” I also share the lyrics to a song I really liked back then and still appreciate today. (Shared here on Tuesday, October 23, 2018)
Saturday, January 20, 1996
My 20th, 21st & 22nd entries in my London Semester Journals from 1/20/1996, in which I catch up, after not journaling for 4 days, including sharing a lot about how I was feeling homesick, especially because it was my Dad’s 55th birthday. I also talk about the fun I was having with my new friends/housemates, as well my experience when I thought some of them were avoiding me and how I dealt with it. (Shared here on Sunday, October 28, 2018)
Sunday, January 21, 1996
My 23rd entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/21/1996, written on my maternal grandfather’s 80th birthday! It was a shorter entry, highlighting getting to call my grandpa on his special day. I also shared what was happening in my life, as I wrapped up my third week living in the U.K., including mass at Newman House, shopping with my roommate, and overanalyzing my relationships with some of my new friends/housemates. (Shared here on Thursday, November 1, 2018)
Monday, January 22, 1996
My 24th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/22/1996, in which I wonder about what is happening back home/with my friends at college, recount my first visit to the Tate Gallery, which I really enjoyed, and share about starting to read Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan. (Shared here on Saturday, November 3, 2018)
Wednesday, January 24, 1996
My 25th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/24/1996, in which I talk politics (in the U.K. vs. the U.S.), religion/faith, and love (including how a fav movie quote resonated with my, at times, unrealistic idea of what romantic relationships could/should be like). Definitely not one of my lighter posts thus far! (Shared here on Tuesday, November 6, 2018)
Thursday, January 25, 1996
My 26th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/25/1996, a short one, about a fun/silly night in with my roommate, communication (via snail mail, as well as email) with family and friends from back home, and other things I was doing towards the end of my first month across the pond. (Shared here on Thursday, November 8, 2018)
Saturday, January 27, 1996
My 27th & 28th entries in my London Semester Journals from 1/27/1996, in which I do a lot of touristy stuff, including visiting Banqueting House, the National Gallery, the Museum of Moving Image, Stratford-Upon Avon and Warwick Castle. I also share about two fun nights with friends, one celebrating my roommate’s birthday and another going out to celebrate a classmate’s 21st, as well as getting together for the first time with one of my English friends, that I’d met the previous summer while working at Camp Algonquin, who lived and worked in London at the time. (Shared here on Sunday, November 11, 2018)
Monday, January 29, 1996
My 29th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/29/1996, in which I share about learning that dear friends were coming to visit, my roommate and my outing to the King’s Army’s Charles I Commemoration, some of the papers and projects I was working on in my classes at Birkbeck College, and another crush encounter. (Shared here on Tuesday, November 13, 2018)
Tuesday, January 30, 1996
My 30th entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/30/1996. Love the symmetry of that, even though I didn’t journal daily! Since sometimes I wrote more than once a day, it made up for the days I skipped. In this one I wrote about looking into playing Canoe (Kayak) Polo at the University of London and a lovely walk I took from “Speakers Corner” in Hyde Park back to where I lived in Notting Hill Gate, as well as learning that one of my fav priests was visiting U of I (who I’d later visit when I traveled to Rome that semester). (Shared here on Wednesday, November 14, 2018)
Wednesday, January 31, 1996
My 31st entry in my London Semester Journals from 1/31/1996, in which I I’m feeling pretty good, about where I’m at, a month in to studying abroad. From checking out the Canoe Polo team and deciding I’d be a better fit joining the club, to attending another Growing in Faith session at Newman House, I was doing my best to have a “British Experience” in the U.K. (vs. an American one). I was also getting to know my classmates and housemates better and having more fun adventures with them. (Shared here on Sunday, November 18, 2018)
FEBRUARY
Monday, February 5, 1996
My 32nd entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/5/1996, in which I play catch up, after not writing for more than a few days. This is an entry that I’d love to jump back in time to and experience again, if that were possible, as it seemed like I was having so much fun! From going on a London “Ghost Walk” Tour with my roommate to buying my first pair of Doc Martens, as well as eating a lot of yummy foods (such as chocolate digestive crackers)! I also think, as a middle-aged adult, I’d enjoy revisiting the paper I was working on about the differences between the U.S. and U.K. higher education systems. (Shared here on Monday, November 19, 2018)
Wednesday, February 7, 1996
My 33rd entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/7/1996, a short one, about my first experience attending Canoe Polo Club (after deciding not to try out for the team), correspondence with family and friends back home, and going to see a foreign film with subtitles, that I really enjoyed. (Shared here on Tuesday, November 20, 2018)
Thursday, February 8, 1996
My 34th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/8/1996, another short one, that I wrote after I got home from my first time at Canoe Polo Club, followed by drinks with fellow members at the University of London’s Union (ULU) “Duck & Dive” pub! Its fun to recall meeting my new British friends, as well as starting to develop another crush, on one of the blokes in the club. (Shared here on Wednesday, November 21, 2018)
Saturday, February 10, 1996
My 35th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/10/1996, in which I shared about a wonderful visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral with my architecture class and passionate tutor. I also recount a bittersweet interaction I had with a woman who worked at the laundry mat I went to and how excited I was to get to see and spend time with dear friends, from the States, who were visiting! (Shared here on Sunday, November 25, 2018)
Sunday, February 11, 1996
My 36th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/11/1996, a super short one, though I share in great detail about my experience at the Royal London Ballet with dear friends, who were visiting from the States. This was bittersweet to revisit, as the younger of the friends died four years ago in June. I appreciated the opportunity to recall such a special memory of time we spent together. (Shared here on Monday, November 26, 2018)
Monday, February 12, 1996
My 37th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/12/1996, a fairly long one, including great memories of my time with dear friends, who were visiting from the States, as well as pictures and accounts of my trips to Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle. I also talk about the first IRA bombing that took place in London while I was living there and how I felt about it. (Shared here on Thursday, November 29, 2018)
Tuesday, February 13, 1996
My 38th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/13/1996, in which I share about receiving valentines from family (including my paternal Grandma Mite) back in the States, as well as a funny one from an English friend, that I met through working at a residential summer camp, in Algonquin, IL, the previous summer. This is my “old friend” whose death moved me to revisit my London Semester Journals earlier this year and eventually decide to blog them, with my reflections from 20+ years later. I also write about going shopping for a formal dress, to wear to the Purple’s Ball with my mates from the Canoe Polo Club! (Shared here on Friday, November 30, 2018)
Saturday, February 17, 1996
My 39th, 40th & 41st entries in my London Semester Journals from 2/17/1996, combine to make a really long one (catching up after 4 days off from writing), about going to see Hampton Court Palace (again), Stonehenge (a dream come true), Salisbury, and Harrods! I also share about the day-to-day fun I was having: going to faith filled events at Newman House, attending Canoe Polo Club, learning in my classes, and hanging out with friends. There was also another bomb scare, which kept us on our toes. (Shared here on Tuesday, December 4, 2018)
Sunday, February 18, 1996
My 42nd entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/18/1996, a shorter one, in which I share about a phone call with my parents, celebrating and learning about Chinese New Year at Newman House, and my first trip to “Speakers Corner” in Hyde Park. I also wrote about multitasking and procrastinating while attempting to study for my International Business mid-term. (Shared here on Thursday, December 6, 2018)
Monday, February 19, 1996
My 43rd & 44th entries in my London Semester Journals from 2/19/1996, about another bombing by the IRA, which was scary. I also share about deciding to give up “American Fast Food” for Lent and going to a Wendy’s in Piccadilly Circus with a friend, to get my fix, before Ash Wednesday. (Shared here on Sunday, December 9, 2018)
Tuesday, February 20, 1996
My 45th & 46th entries in my London Semester Journals from 2/20/1996, in which I share about getting news from home that my maternal grandpa may have had a stroke, going to Spitalfields Market on Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras to watch Pancake Races, spending time with a group of Catholic students visiting from France at Newman House, and watching the Brit Awards with my housemates. (Shared here on Monday, December 10, 2018)
Thursday, February 22, 1996
My 47th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/22/1996, about my busy, stressful, faith-filled, and fun Ash Wednesday. The day included mass, a great night at Canoe Polo Club and starting to think about my European travels (after the semester ended). I was also anticipating seeing two friends, who were coming to London that weekend, one from college (who was studying that semester in Ireland) and the other from Southampton (who I met the previous summer working at Camp Algonquin). (Shared here on Tuesday, December 11, 2018)
Friday, February 23, 1996
My 48th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/23/1996, about a trip to Greenwich to see the Queen’s House & Naval Hospital with my architecture class, followed by sticking around and checking out more of the sites there with friends, including getting to stand on the Prime Meridian. I also share about getting to see/spend time with a college friend/sorority sister, who was studying abroad in Galway, Ireland that semester and visiting London for the weekend. (Shared here on Tuesday, December 18, 2018)
Sunday, February 25, 1996
My 49th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/25/1996, in which I recount the first day of my old friend’s visit to London, when we met up with another English friend (from the previous summer working at Camp Algonquin), explored Leicester Square/Oxford Circus/Soho, went to see the musical “Blood Brothers,” and spent a lot of time just hanging out, catching up, and talking. This was a bittersweet entry to revisit and reflect on, as I’d been anticipating it since I began transcribing and sharing my journal entries, which I was moved to do after learning of and starting to grieve my old friend’s death earlier this year (2018), though he actually died 4 years ago. (Shared here on Wednesday, December 19, 2018)
Monday, February 26, 1996
My 50th entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/26/1996, about the second/last day of my old friend’s visit to London, when we went to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year celebration. This was another bittersweet entry to return to, as learning of my old friend’s death in July 2018 (though he actually died in 2014), was the impetus for my starting to transcribe, share, and reflect on these journal entries. I also wrote about getting news from home that I was offered the job of Assistant Unit Director (supervising 1/2 of the camp counselors) at Camp Algonquin that upcoming summer, where my old friend and I had met the previous summer, and how excited I was! (Shared here on Tuesday, January 8, 2019)
Tuesday, February 27, 1996
My 51st entry in my London Semester Journals from 2/27/1996, that I wrote in four colors (after picking up one of my fav kinds of pens) about trying to find the Real World IV: London house with a friend, going to the opera for the first time, and working on my London History essay on “Victorian Leisure,” as well as my “Ethnicity & Race” presentation for Modern British Society. I also shared about receiving an awesome music mix, from a close friend back home, for my birthday, and finding out that an old flame wanted to get back in touch, while I was overseas, and planned to write/send me a letter. (Shared here on Wednesday, January 30, 2019)
MARCH
Friday, March 1, 1996
My 52nd entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/1/1996, about traveling to Llangollen, Wales for an ISA Adventure Weekend, and our first night there. From eating an entire banana split myself for dessert, when we stopped for lunch in Shrewsbury, to knocking on a stranger’s door to ask for directions, after we got lost on the way back from a pub, revisiting this entry was definitely amusing! (Shared here on Sunday, February 10, 2019)
Saturday, March 2, 1996
My 53rd entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/2/1996, about our second day in Llangollen, Wales for an ISA Adventure Weekend. It was a fun and full day of hillwalking (hiking) and canoeing (kayaking), followed by a campfire and a “girls night in,” hanging out in the lounge of the youth hostel where we were staying. (Shared here on Monday, February 25, 2019)
Sunday, March 3, 1996
My 54th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/3/1996, in which I share about our third and last day in Llangollen, Wales on an ISA Adventure Weekend. I went “Gorge Walking” with friends, which was super fun, and had an a-ha moment about preconceived notions/expectations when it comes to relationships and experiences, that rings true to this day. (Shared here on Wednesday, February 27, 2019)
Monday, March 4, 1996
My 55th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/4/1996, in which I shared about starting to receive birthday cards from family and friends, for my upcoming 21st birthday (two days later), as well as how I felt overwhelmed with assignments and projects for school. I appreciate how, even back then, I was self-aware enough to do what worked for me and slow down, as needed. It was also fun to revisit this entry, 23 years and 2 days later, on my 44th birthday! (Shared here on Wednesday, March 6, 2019)
Wednesday, March 6, 1996
My 56th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/6/1996, which was my 21st birthday! I stayed up just past midnight when I wrote this, so it was at the very beginning of my special day. My next entry actually covers how I celebrated, while in London. It was fun to see what was going through my mind back then, as I reached this milestone in my life. (Shared here on Wednesday, March 27, 2019)
Thursday, March 7, 1996
My 57th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/7/1996, all about the events of my 21st birthday, the day before. It was awesome to recall the wonderful ways my friends in London helped me to celebrate this milestone, which was bittersweet being away from my family and friends back home in the States. This was also my last entry in the first of my two journals from that semester, covering my first two months/the first half of my time overseas. My second journal covers the next two months/second half of my time there, before I flew home on May 6th. (Shared here on Tuesday, April 30, 2019)
Sunday, March 10, 1996
My 58th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/10/1996, that I wrote on a bus ride from Galway to Dublin. My roommate and I had spent a wonderful weekend in Ireland, which included getting to visit a college friend (who was studying abroad there) and we were headed back to London, via multiple coach bus rides and a ferry across the Irish Sea. I was catching up on sharing about some of my correspondence with loved ones back in the States, as well as setting the stage for our adventure, which I chronicled over the next few entries. This was also my first entry in the second of my two journals from that semester, covering my third and fourth months/second half of my time there, before I flew home on May 6th. (Shared here on Monday, June 17, 2019)
Monday, March 11, 1996
My 59th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/11/1996, that I wrote on an overnight coach bus ride, on my way back to London, after taking a ferry from a weekend trip to Ireland with my roommate. I chronicle much of our first day in Ireland, which we spent in Dublin, including wandering into a great restaurant (called Bewley’s) for breakfast, seeing the Book of Kells at Trinity College, having lunch at the Bad Ass Cafe (where Sinead O’Connor once worked) and finding/taking a picture with the statue of Molly Malone. (Shared here on Monday, October 21, 2019)
Tuesday, March 12, 1996
My 60th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/12/1996, that I wrote after a weekend trip to Ireland with my roommate. This was my third and last entry about our adventure, in which I recounted the rest of our awesome day in Dublin (including visiting Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedrals), followed by the wonderful time we spent in Galway, visiting one of my college friends (who was studying abroad there that semester), and our travels back to London from the Emerald Isle. (Shared here on Monday, November 11, 2019)
Thursday, March 14, 1996
My 61st entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/14/1996, in which I wrote about some happy/sad news that I’d received from my old friend in England. This was another bittersweet entry to return to, as learning of my old friend’s death in July 2018 (though he actually died in 2014), was the impetus for my starting to transcribe, share, and reflect on these journal entries. I also shared that I was struggling emotionally and how a visit to The National Gallery, where I happened upon a special exhibit featuring Constable’s “Cornfield” painting, helped me to feel better/see things more clearly. (Shared here on Wednesday, January 22, 2020)
Saturday, March 16, 1996
My 62nd entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/16/1996, that I wrote on my way back from our last ISA Excursion of the semester to Cambridge and Ely. It was fun and interesting to revisit that day trip, as well the day before, when my roommate, another good friend/housemate and I hired a fancy car to take us for High Tea at The Ritz. (Shared here on Wednesday, April 22, 2020)
Sunday, March 17, 1996
My 63rd entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/17/1996, in which I shared about my experience dressing up, taking pictures and then going dancing with friends at a 70’s themed club called “Starsky & Hutch.” It was an epic night that ended with a night bus ride back to our house, followed by watching the a much hyped “Tyson vs. Bruno Fight,” in the wee hours of the morning, with ISA office staff, who’d ordered and stayed up to see it on Sky TV. (Shared here on Saturday, April 25, 2020)
Monday, March 18, 1996
My 64th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/18/1996, a long one, that I wrote on my maternal Grandma Dee’s 80th Birthday, after calling from all the way across the pond, to wish her a happy milestone birthday! I also shared about my friends and my St. Patrick’s Day celebration in London the previous day, followed by running into friends from back home in Evanston (who were also studying abroad that semester in other cities and happened to be visiting London for the weekend), and then my roommate’s and my unique experience getting haircuts at the Vidal Sassoon Academy trade school, to save money. (Shared here on Thursday, July 9, 2020)
Thursday, March 21, 1996
My 65th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/21/1996, a short and sweet one, that I wrote at the Notting Hill Gate tube station, while waiting for a Circle Line train to take me to campus. It was the first of two entries about my sister Meg’s 12-hour layover/visit to London, en route to her MIT Sloan School of Business Spring Break trip to South Africa. I love that I get to share it today, being Meg’s 50th Birthday! (Shared here on Saturday, July 11, 2020)
Friday, March 22, 1996
My 66th & 67th entries in my London Semester Journals from 3/22/1996, in which I share about the rest of my sister Meg’s 12-hour layover/visit to London en route to her MIT Sloan School of Business Spring Break trip to South Africa and my trip to see Wimbledon with a friend, along with other awesome adventures that my friends and I managed to pack into our days and nights back then… Including taking 5 hour naps and staying up until 2 AM! I also touched on some of the challenging interactions I had with friends back then, including how I was coping/working through my feelings. Finally, these entries were especially bittersweet to revisit, as our family was supposed to leave tomorrow night for our big trip to the UK, which we postponed due to the pandemic. (Shared here on Saturday, August 8, 2020)
Saturday, March 23, 1996
My 68th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/23/1996, about my absolutely fabulous experience attending the Purple’s Ball, hosted by the University of London Sports Council (for students involved with team and intramural sports). I went with my friends from the Canoe Club (an intramural team sport that was a version of water polo played while paddling in kayaks) that I joined and regularly participated in during my semester abroad. (Shared here on Friday, August 28, 2020)
Sunday, March 24, 1996
My 69th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/24/1996, in which I share about going to a recreational football (soccer) game to watch a friend play with his team, mostly because he owned a car and I thought it would be cool to get to ride around (above ground) in London. I also reflect in this one about my bittersweet feelings related to leaving the friends I made during my semester abroad to return home, even though that was still a ways off. I really missed my loved ones back in the States, while at the same time I knew it would be hard for me to say goodbye to those I’d grown close to there. (Shared here on Saturday, November 14, 2020)
Monday, March 25 & Wednesday, March 27, 1996
My 70th & 71st entries in my London Semester Journals from 3/25/1996 and 3/27/1996, in which I share about a number of fun times with friends, including my roommate and my fabulous visit to The Tower of London, as well as a silly night spent with another friend that we thought would make a good Seinfeld episode. (Shared here on Thursday, November 19, 2020)
Thursday, March 28 & Friday, March 29, 1996
My 72nd & 73rd entries in my London Semester Journals from 3/28/1996 and 3/29/1996, written while riding in the backseat of a car that friends and I rented for our weekend road trip to Scotland. We’d been planning for awhile and it was so exciting to finally be on our way! I also share about attending my last Canoe Polo Club practice and pub hang out afterwards, which included bittersweet goodbyes with my teammates. (Shared here on Wednesday, November 25, 2020)
Saturday, March 30, 1996
My 74th entry in my London Semester Journals from 3/30/1996, one of a few in which I shared about an epic weekend road trip that I took with some friends to Scotland! It includes my descriptions of the experience we had driving through the night from London to St. Andrew’s and my pilgrimage, as a golfer, to the Old Course there, as well as our antics on the adjacent West Sands “Chariots of Fire” Beach. (Shared here on Wednesday, February 24, 2021)
Sunday, March 31, 1996
My 75th and 76th entries in my London Semester Journals from 3/31/1996, another about the awesome weekend road trip to Scotland that I took with friends. It includes more about my moving and meaningful experience taking in the Old Course at St. Andrew’s, as well as the next leg of our journey to Edinburgh, on what felt in some ways like a “Perfect Day.” I also chronicle unexpected quality time that I spent with my London roommate during our first night there and the surprise question she asked me. (Shared here on Tuesday, August 27, 2024)
APRIL
Tuesday, April 2, 1996
My 77th entry in my London Semester Journals from 4/2/1996, a short entry about the bittersweetness of saying goodbye to my London roommate — as she left to travel home over a month before I did. On her last day we also had another fun (and a bit naughty) experience with two of our housemates/friends that was amusing to revisit. (Shared here on Sunday, March 29, 2026)
Friday, April 5, 1996
My 78th entry in my London Semester Journals from 4/5/1996, a very long entry about wrapping up my time living in London (as my school semester was winding down). This included sharing about special outings and interactions with friends that I made there, as well as writing a research paper for my history class and going on an architecture tour in preparation for a final exam. I wrote this one on Good Friday (30 years ago) and talked a lot about my faith journey back then — which was fascinating to reflect on from Good Friday in 2026 (as my spirituality and ideas about God have evolved a lot). I wrapped it up recounting a phone conversation with my mom and dad, which was bittersweet to revisit in light of their deaths in 2021 and 2023. (Shared here on Friday, April 3, 2026)
Monday, April 8, 1996
My 79th entry in my London Semester Journals from 4/8/1996 (exactly 30 years ago today), which I wrote on my bus ride back from a wonderful Easter Weekend/Bank Holiday in Southampton. I didn’t actually share much about that, as I was determined to finish recounting the fabulous road trip to Scotland I took with friends the previous weekend. I covered how we spent most of our awesome Saturday (3/30/1996) in Edinburgh, including a very long and amusing walking tour. Then I did my best, in the “Notes from Present Day Kathy” reflection, to capture what I am pretty sure I never got back to writing about — using photos from that weekend to help jog my memory. (Shared here on Wednesday, April 8, 2026)
Wedneday, April 10, 1996
My 80th entry in my London Semester Journals from 4/10/1996 (30 years ago tomorrow), a shorter one, about my last week of school there — during which I was studying for and taking my final exams. I had to answer lots of essay questions and my hands were tired from writing those, as well as my journal entries! I also share about receiving 22 emails in a week (as if that was a lot), along with “snail mail,” and even a fax from loved ones — mostly those back home/on the other side of the pond, as well as getting to connect with two English friends over the phone. (Shared here on Thursday, April 9, 2026)
Wedneday, April 11, 1996
My 81st, 82nd and 83rd entries in my London Semester Journals from 4/11/1996 (written 30 years ago this month) combine for another long one — about the first part of my wonderful Easter Weekend in Southampton, including spending time with my old friend from camp, his family and some friends, as well realizing that Titanic (which I’ve been fascinated with for as long as I can recall and sank 114 years ago today) sailed from there. My “Note from Present Day Kathy” reflection is especially lengthy for this one and includes a lot of photos related to Titanic. (Shared here on Wednesday, April 15, 2026)
