By Emmalee Welch, Staff Writer
On September 8, almost a week before I left for my program abroad, I learned that Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom had passed away. The day after the queen’s passing, my host university reached out to all of the students informing us of how this event would affect our first few days on campus.
For the most part, nothing on campus changed, except for the addition of a few moments of silence and memorials. In the city, however, we were warned to be cautious of our travels because there was expected to be a large increase in crowds near central London.
When the queen passed away, Great Britain entered a 12-day mourning period leading up to her funeral, which took place on September 19. The day of the funeral was declared a national holiday. Schools were closed, along with many businesses, to allow everyone the chance to attend the funeral and pay their respects.
Not wanting to miss this historic moment, I decided to take an early train to Waterloo and walk to Westminster Palace and Hyde Park.
Along the walk, I saw many interesting sights, from businesses with posters of kind words for the queen to apartments draping black cloths and flags to contribute to the mourning of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. There were also a good amount of people selling flags, hats, and flowers in the streets.
While walking to Hyde Park, I thought that I had seen the big crowds that I was warned about, but, when I actually arrived, I was taken aback. I have been to Disney World more times than I can count, but their crowds are miniscule compared to this. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world had gathered to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
In Hyde Park, jumbotrons broadcasted the funeral live for everyone to see. The ceremony was beautiful. The first hour was comprised of prayers for the queen, her family, and her people. Afterwards, there was a two-minute moment of silence, followed by a gun salute and chimes from Big Ben.
When I decided to study abroad, I had no idea that I would be coming at such an important time in my host country’s history. It was a surprising turn of events, but one that I will never forget. It is experiences like this that will stay with me always even after I return home.
I came to London to study, to learn to be a better writer and to put myself outside of my comfort zone. While my classes alone will do a great job at helping me achieve these goals, it is the unexpected occurrences that will truly shape my time abroad.
You have to keep an open mind and learn to adapt to unfamiliar situations because almost everything you experience is going to be new and different. It may seem overwhelming at first, but you will enjoy it best if you can keep a positive mindset.
