Yo! The last few weeks have been pretty chaotic. I’ve been preparing for assessments, but more importantly, I’ve been doing a lot more exploring than I had previously, and I’m excited to share all that I’ve been up to!

Week 7: Some highlights from week 7 included making the trip to Horizon 22, London’s highest free viewing platform. My friend Akira and I were able to get some pretty awesome pictures of the city and map out what parts of the city we wanted to explore. From Horizon 22, we went to Tower Bridge to recreate a picture my dad took when he was my age. Let me know if you see the resemblance! The area looks a bit different, but I think the end product came out well! It was super cool to retrace his steps and be where he was, to feel connected to him in the convergence of our paths was an experience I’m glad I was able to have. After leaving Tower Bridge, we checked out the Tate Modern art exhibit, where we saw some cool pieces… as well as some we weren’t able to grasp as firmly. Overall, it was a cool exhibit with artistic expression across several different mediums.

The next day, we hit up Buckingham Palace and were able to take some cool pictures but also, genuinely appreciate the moment. I’ll never forget that after I took my initial pictures of the palace, I turned around to see all the spectators frozen in awe, mouths agape (or closed with pensive contemplation), just looking to remain in a moment in time. That sight really stuck with me, and so just then, I put my camera down and simply stood there. I stood there and looked at it, resisting the inclination to overdramaticize the moment in my head, but to simply allow it to exist in my mind, uninfluenced by my premeditated expectations. In that moment, there was no disappointment, just simply what was, and I liked what was.

From Buckingham Palace, we walked around St. James’ Park, making our way into Westminster and Chinatown, passing a pretty cool portrait display on the way. Past Chinatown, we made it into the Theatre District, which was when I got REALLY excited. I stopped by this store called FOPP, and I spent entirely too much time browsing through their collection of digital media. If I wasn’t working with limited storage, I would have spent ENTIRELY too much money there. I will say, what I did end up spending my money on was WELL worth it. If you remember a few weeks back, you’ll remember how I hyped up a particular donut. Well, that donut has more than certainly been topped, and I’m not ashamed to say it! Rodeo Doughnuts in Soho won me over from the moment I passed their window display, and I’m secretly counting down the days until I can return to eat them out of business.

Week 8: There’s only one thing that happened in week 8 that truly matters. I was able to figure out whether or not French food is genuinely as good as I’m told (it’s not), and it was a long time coming. I made my grand return to France back in week 8, and it was an unforgettable experience. Now, given general perceptions of France and what it often means to travel there, that’s likely what you would expect me to say. However, it wasn’t unforgettable for the reasons you might think. During my time in Paris, my itinerary consisted of much of what you’d expect: The Eiffel Tower, the Arc du Triomphe, the Champs Elysees, and the Jardin du Luxembourg, among other things. Furthermore, my experience of all these landmarks is much what you’d expect. I went, I was there, and that was what it was. It was as beautiful as you’d expect. Beyond going down my list of ‘French Essentials’, what was really enlightening about my time in Paris was my experience with the people. When you make your way through the city, there’s an incredibly thick air of condescension that is so palpable it threatens to replace what’s already in your lungs. Particularly as I explored the Champs Elysees, I can identify feeling distinctly foreign, but even further, like I was in over my head. Each interaction, from store to store, felt oddly infantilizing. It was genuinely as if I was a kid in a candy store. It was simultaneously relieving and frustrating. All that being said, this experience of a region and a people led me to contemplate my own bravery and my willingness to go beyond where I feel accepted. Paris is the first place I’ve ever been where that security has felt challenged, albeit faintly. This was the kind of experience I welcome as a tourist and what I hope will strengthen my cultural sensitivity going forward.

Week 9: This week served as a period of recovery from the hyperactivity of the previous few weeks. As a result, I have next to NO pictures! And I’ll be honest, I often use these pictures as a means to recollect the contents of the week within which they occurred, so additionally, in that way, I’m a bit stranded here. That being said, I’ll do my best to recount what happened and all that I learned during this time.

An experience I had this week that felt oddly challenging was when I went roller skating for the first time in what had to be over a decade. Roller skating has been a challenge that I’d largely avoided for most of my formative childhood. I’ve grown to covet how people perceive me, so much so that even falling in front of other people seemed blasphemous to my prideful little heart. To further set the stage, I SUCK at roller skating, making falling down overwhelmingly plausible. But I decided to go anyway. Perhaps due to some combination of wanting to celebrate a friend’s birthday, the curiosity as to whether or not I still suck at roller skating, or even the will to face a sensation that very well may have robbed me of some deeply important experiences. For one reason or another, I went! I went and I had a great time. Don’t get me wrong, it was very difficult, but the challenge was part of what made it so fun. The anaerobic exercise, the intensifying sweat all over my body, the sense of achievement that came with my steadily increasing proficiency. It had the addictive quality of a video game, one that I played until my legs began to shake.

I’ll say this, I don’t think there’s any deeply profound takeaway from a story like this so I’ll extrapolate the simple one. Face what scares you. If even just for a few minutes today in prayer or 30 minutes on a run or even for a few hours as you attempt to master roller skating. Take some time to confront what scares you. That’s it, that’s the blog.

• Kaelen (3/27/25)