Today’s Special Moments are Tomorrow’s Memories.
-Genie, Aladdin (1992)
I type this as I rock out to my Disney Jams playlist with my roommates, feeling like I could take on the world because I’m in LONDON. (Okay, maybe I’m the only one rocking out, but we all do feel pretty awesome.)
The reason I’m in such high spirits may have a small bit to do with Saturday’s class trip to Brighton, United Kingdom. It’s this charming, bustling, hip beach town in southern England. Picture the setting for a British Nicholas Sparks novel. Pebbled beach, colorful lanes of cafes on a cobblestone road, an entertainment pier…BOOM. That’s Brighton! It started as this little fishing town back before the US was even an idea, and King George III (Y’kn
ow, Mad King George? The one who wouldn’t let Washington’s dreams come true?) had a son who didn’t know what to do with his time. So, he decided to take over an apartment complex in the middle of town and make it into a fabulous beach getaway palace. George, Prince of Wales, sort of built the world’s first Epcot, with a palace inspired by Chinese culture and stables inspired by Indian culture! The inside of the Royal Pavilion was floor to ceiling dragons, gold, and Chinese porcelain. George was great at hosting parties and even better at eating; he once had his French chef prepare a feast with 100 courses! He had the kitchens built close to the Great Hall so he could take his guests on tours of the huge facilities. Kitchens were commonly in separate buildings in case of fires, but George was a glutton for gluttony and wanted his friends and guests to know! It’s assumed his obsession with being a sort of “emperor of the world” at this time of Britain’s great power may explain his desire to create a Chinese/Indian-style summer home. Unfortunately, he was such a restless designer and architect that he only visited the finished product three times before his death. Some say it’s the journey and not the destination, anyways, am I right?
OKAY, there’s my informative section, now on to the fun stuff: My evening in Brighton. So, after our teacher set us loose on the beaches, we intelligent adults took off our shoes and socks and sprinted across the ice-cold pebbles into the waves. Of course, the waves came up to meet us (VERY QUICKLY) and we all were soaked to the knees in frozen sea-water…but it was SO worth it! We all became instantly giddy; running, jumping, splashing, spinning, singing, and looking generally like Disney Princesses. Don’t worry. A lot of it has been documented in photo AND video form so others can enjoy our little episode. After about a half an hour, most of us realized we couldn’t feel our feet and figured the pebbles and shells could be tearing into them, so we dried off, warmed up, and basked in the sunset for a while. Then, we went to the entertainment pier where some of my fellow classmates were crazy enough to go on huge roller coasters. It was amazing, they were being suspended 100-feet in the air above the ocean! I didn’t have the guts to spend four pounds on getting my guts thrown around, but they seemed to have fun! The class split up and took over Brighton’s nightlife after that, invading dive bars, themed bars, Australian bars with pantsless Rugby Teams (from whom we learned a number of interesting drinking games), and dance clubs. Everyone we met was so interested to hear about where we came from, they were helpful, excited, and generally cheerful. I REALLY loved the Brighton vibe. I’ll DEFINITELY be going back, (maybe when Mom comes to visit?)
Well, ANYWAY, I had a KILLER time in Brighton. Touring the Royal Pavilion was AMAZING and really showed off the insane wealth and influence of historical England. I really got close to my friends here, and we all got a chance to just unwind and act like little kids after a very stressful week . (Which is a favorite pastime of mine: acting like a kid.) Next week, I’ll go into detail about all the interesting theatre I’ve been seeing here, just so you don’t think I’m spending all my time frolicking about. 😉
Cheers!
Taylor