Last Words from the U S of A

It's hard to believe that the product of months of preparation and anticipation is about to unfold in four days. This coming Tuesday evening, I'll be making my way across the Atlantic Ocean, and beginning my study abroad semester in London. Though these past few days have been especially hectic with all of the last minute details, there is no denying that the journey that lies ahead of me is bound to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Therefore, I thought it particularly important that I find a way keep track of all the things I am about see and do in the next four months. I've always been intrigued by the blogging world, and what better way to keep my friends and family up to date (and probably super jealous) with my activities than to start a blog for abroad. Ergo, the birth of "Fish, Chips & Abbey Road". For those of you that wont have WhatsApp or Viber (though even my Mom has this stuff these days), I'm offering you a third way to stay up to date with my activities overseas.

I'm sure I'll have much more to say once I've gotten settled into my new place on Frying Pan Alley (yup, thats a real street name), but I figured I'd write my first post in the U.S. to get the ball rolling. While I've read a few tourist guides, and talked to a lot of past study abroad students about places and things to do, I don't want to lose that sense of discovery that comes from being immersed in an entirely new environment. I'm hoping to find the balance between doing all of the mandatory touristy things and doing more unconventional stuff that would allow for a unique London experience. Stay tuned for how well I can accomplish this! In the meantime, here are some examples of "unconventional" stuff that I hope to encounter. (Note: some suggestions are more realistic that others)

1. Have tea with Andy Murray: If you didn't know, I've been an avid Murray fan since day one. Though the Andy hype has drastically increased this past year with his Olympic and U.S. Open victories, I've idolized the guy since he began making big moves in '05-'06. What better way to try and immerse myself in British Culture than to spend tea time with this UK native?
2. Find out the life story of one of the guards at Buckingham Palace: A challenge, but I think I'm up to the task. 
3. Take the James Bond London Tour: Even though most of Sky Fall was filmed around London, I'm more interested in getting a glimpse into old school Ian Flemming's head.
4. Take a picture crossing Abbey Road, but walking in the wrong direction. Even though this might be considered one of the "main-stream" London attractions, it's too huge to not put on this list. I figure by crossing to the left side, I'm making the experience unique in my own way!

I'm really excited about the prospects of this blog, and I hope you all continue to check back in as more posts begin to surface. I'll be sure to keep you updated on what of the four aforementioned tasks I end up accomplishing. 

Cheerio for now Ol' Chaps!

-The British Sam

P.S.

check out what the view is supposed to be like from my residence hall!!! Stay tuned to see if reality matches this picture ;)