This is my travel journal from my study abroad trip to the UK and France. The names of my teachers and classmates have been changed for privacy reasons.

DAY 11- May 30
               So today turned out to be another boring Monday. I was up at the usual time for breakfast and then I started quietly panicking because nobody else was there and I thought that maybe class had started earlier today for some reason. Saw Dr. Owens and it turned out that class was postponed until one because we were trying to allow for anyone who had traveled over the weekend to return.

               Now I'm wide awake and looking for something to do. Everyone else was sleeping or whatever, but it's no good going into town because when you figure the time it takes to get there and back, you wouldn't have much time to do anything. I ended up getting some homework out of the way. Also: screwed around, and turned on CBBC again to see Mr. Sexy-Guy-With-Dog Puppet.

               Class as usual, nothing new to say. (Although I think I will end up writing about what I've learned on this trip at some point, along with rewriting most of this journal to make it more interesting. Bit pressed for time at the moment.) We have an exam in the morning, but Dr. Owens gave us the big essay question today so we would have time to prepare for it. The topic is to explain the evolution of the absolute monarchy to the Parliamentary democracy that they have today. That's gonna take some time.

               So we got out at around five. Bit late to go out, but I think a few might have done. I needed to study, and I borrowed a copy of the textbook I never got because life's full of surprises, and I spent an hour copying the necessary information. And, as per my study habits, I spent an hour taking a break.

               I took a walk around campus, took pictures, and narrowly avoided some suspicious-looking swans. Somewhere along the way, I found a stone wall. A cool, old, mysterious stone wall with a gap in it. And beyond the gap was forest. After checking to make sure no one was looking, I went through the gap.

               This is how I found out that I love running around in the woods. The ground was alternatively crinkly and squishy, because there are spots with dry leaves and spots with stuff decomposing. It was very peaceful; like something you'd find in a fantasy novel. Tall, tall trees, the smell of pine and rotting wood and whatever else was in there, birds chirping. The best part was that it was cold and wet, and I didn't have to worry about snakes, cactus, or even spiders. Or even the three of them joining forces to become some pointy, eight-legged antichrist.

               But I eventually stumbled upon a trail with a few markers. That's a good thing, because a trail means you're allowed to be there. (Not that I stayed on it much.) As it turns out, I'd wandered into a botanical garden. I was a little disappointed, because I was sure that I'd been on a collision course with adventure. There would be magic and unicorns and random trees that were secretly stairways to the stars. But I did get to identify different types of trees from a distance. The larch. The fir. The mighty Scots pine...

               Then I remembered that my camera also does video, so I got about ten minutes of footage before my memory card filled up. Anyway my hour was up, so back at it. Around eight, I went back and hung around until the sun was almost gone.

               Studying wasn't so difficult because this whole trip has been aggressively educational. Between class, museums, tour guides, and educational television I've had a lot of this stuff hammered into me. Once we get past the Acts of Settlement in history I get a little fuzzy, though.