UK Adventures Blog

Welcome back, laddies and lasses! After a night of little rest, we begrudgingly woke up early to depart York at 8:15 and embarked upon our first day trip.

We left York via bus and rode to Pickering, at which point we boarded the train that would transport us the rest of the way to Whitby. To our enjoyment, we learned one station along the way in Goathland was the film site of the first two Harry Potter films and an action-packed scene with Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. The rest of the way, we caught up on sleep and wrangled through several rounds of the word game “Contact.” Arriving in Whitby, our fantasy tour continued as we stepped off the train and traveled to Whitby Abbey, where we heard tales about Dracula, Bram Stoker, and James Cook, important figures in Whitby’s storied history. Around the ruins, we were reminded of the landscape of America’s breadbasket, with its rolling hills, green pastures, and varied livestock, minus the cornfields.

Following our excursion at Whitby Abbey, we split up and headed into town on a steep and uneven cobblestone path. Two groups walked around the pier and took in the sights (including a massive 180-pound dog) before stopping for some fish and chips. Gavin, Jaden, and Nick, meanwhile, took a precarious dip in the sea, braving frigid temperatures and a biting wind. After spending some time in the town, we met back up at the bus and began our journey back to York.

Along the way, we survived the rain for a quick stop in the quaint town of Helmsley. After gathering candy from the town’s “traditional sweets shop”, scones from the butcher’s, and deluxe chocolate brownies, we made our way back to the bus for the final leg of our journey. During the journey, our tour guide told us about the history of the moor’s landscapes that we passed. At last we made it back to York and roamed the campus (including a hedgehog search and yoga session) until it was time for dinner. Those who were still hungry feasted on chili and rice with a dessert of coconut-topped chocolate pies.

Toodle pip,

Alex and David

*in a british accent* After a hectic night of failed gambling and unconvincing ghost stories, today was a restful juxtaposition. Breakfast was a slight improvement from the past couple of days because of an extra selection of food (at an extra cost). Though the new potato cakes and sausage links may have just led to extra exhaustion at the educational sessions. As exciting as public speaking practice may be, after lunch (which was painstakingly mid) the group was extremely excited to get out into the city once again. We began our afternoon excursion with a tour at the Minster, where the groups were had to decide between two tour guides. Everyone wanted to be with our favorite stunningly awe strikingly beautiful guide Rose, but alas not everyone could get her (nice guys always finish last 🙁 ).
Getting a better look at the Minster was much needed, as we got to take time to appreciate the intricate stone and glass work developed over the last millennia while learning about its rich Catholic and Anglican history.

After the intricate mix of Gothic and Victorian architecture, the Vikings seemed crude at best, which once again demonstrated the deep history of this city. The main attraction of the Jorvik Museum featured a ride through historical replicas of day to day life. While the humanoid figures fooled some, the pungent smells drew the most attention — especially the fish market and outhouse ones.

The group promptly left the museum once we learned we had free time until tea (that’s what Northern England folks call dinner! Can’t say we’re surprised). A large majority of the group rushed to the Minster to explore the brilliant views it had to offer. Climbing up, step after step after step, we made it to the halfway point. We felt a smooth breeze as we walked onto the first roof, and the group could finally give a sigh of relief in the open air. T’was short lived though, as we had 150 more steps to climb — swirling around the spire with our heads dizzying by the second. At last we reached the top — and the views made it all worth it (in the few squares cut out of the metal cage surrounding the whole roof). After sightseeing York from an aerial view, we headed back to the halfway point for our ground liaison to take a photo, only after getting yelled at by the loud speaker for the felony charges of having a banner out and being too close to the railing.

Following the day’s European history lessons, we earned a throwback to our American way of life with  burgers and chips (fries for you Americans). A vote was taken on who will watch the Barbie movie, and an overwhelming majority of scholars agreed.

To end the day, we figured we’d undergo a rematch in some British football. Valerie decided to play goalie, and she was a critical complement of the team she was on, and the other team’s goalie Andrew was just as critical. Some injuries were incurred on the field, but all is well here in York tonight.

Cheers,

Gavin and Annie

After a long night of adventures, many of our intrepid adventurers were in dire need of some sweet, sweet, sleep. As a result, a group decided to miss the typical breakfast and venture out into the wild, yet often far too mild, jungle that is typical British cuisine. Good (albeit overpriced to some) food ensued, and after splitting a single pot of English Breakfast tea 9 ways, many drinking from the same cups they used to refill their water bottles, our proper chaps chose to head back for this day’s sessions, not before paying a quick homage to everyone’s favorite advertised product, the all-natural, nightly laxative, Bile Beans.

Meanwhile, another group searched in vain for a post office to mail a postcard (everything's closed on Sunday apparently). Instead, they ended up practicing their Chinese and buying pins and sea glass at a farmers' market.

With bellies full and spirits high, so began our explorers to learn all about the wonderful world of A&M’s academics. One PowerPoint later, we faced our most perilous task yet: surviving the wilderness of Minnesota, armed with little but ski poles, chocolates, and broken lighters. Can our team put aside their differing ideas and come together to escape to the nearest town, or even survive a single night? As it would seem, according to expert opinion, although some groups were able to unite more successfully than others, the entire program would most certainly face a painful, wolf-encouraged, probably whiskey-abetted death. Key lessons were learned by our valiant heroes-turned-dog treats; first, always bring chocolate to the woods, but more importantly, make sure your team is aligned in the proper general direction before going after minute details, or else it’ll be near impossible to decide anything. Speaking of starving, by the way, who wants lunch?

With an hour and a half break, the team split up to find local food: fish and chips, and Nepalese. The Nepalese group repeated the winter survival experience, switching priorities several times and shouting in British accents before ending up at an Italian restaurant. It seemed like the only place in York that would seat 9 people. The waiter had a strong (fake?)  Italian accent and would randomly start serenading the group. Turns out he was from Connecticut. Jaden got to practice speaking Italian while also maintaining his British accent. Several excellent pizzas and one awkward hug later, the group headed back to the dorm to change, then to the classroom for a mini-lecture on punctuality.

In the meantime, following a sprint to the dorms and back, the other half of “Man vs. Wild”’s upcoming cast was at a crossroads between hunger and convenience: fish and chips, the store with no queue (that’s proper English for line “line”, for all you Yankee lads out there), or a classic and imaginably delectable Yorkshire pudding, and risk missing lunchtime altogether? In our all-too-familiar unified manner, we split once again, with half opting for the fish and half the pudding, admirably braving the interminable wait and incremental gnaw of hunger, their palates pleading for the tempting dish. While the pudding-goers excruciatingly engaged in the mental confrontation of their lives, the fish guys watched the Banana Man! In his shocking return, the fan favorite plantain punisher freestyled about everything from underwear to Cinderella, all while bravely (read: barely) performing his classic death-defying stunts. After a quick, slightly rushed, yet all the tastier lunch, interrupted by the next villain of this tale; the infamous yellow jacket. Yet another cautious escapade later, we landed back at the DG building for the closing remarks on today’s sessions.

Today was the last Evensong of the season, and our well-dressed group attended a special service. For some, the challenge was staying together as "the Texans" in the queue, and for others, it was maintaining consciousness for the entire event. But it was a great experience for all, and the team all enjoyed seeing the minstrel from the inside.

Our team had a few minutes before the ghost tour, and with no Brits around to befriend, they conducted some statics experiments with cell phones and bollards. The ghost tour guide told great stories, a surprising number of which contained explicit material, or at least innuendos. By the way, what’s that smell? No, it’s not your damp towels (although you should probably go check that out, if that’s the case), but rather a visiting ghost of York, here to join you in your stay!

After making wishes on the guide's staff – which has a history of both luck and early death – Ian and some others tried to borrow a car from some local girls. After convincing them it was legal, but failing to ensure safety, our rejected team hit the casino. Their idea of high-rollers and partying was slightly inaccurate - it was mostly empty, with a few old people losing at slots in the back. Still, the team got a kick out of showing their driver's licenses, passports, and military IDs to a slightly amused bouncer. After a stop at the ATM, Nick, David, and Ian decided to play until all the money was gone. The rest, including a few minors, stopped for a photoshoot in an alley before walking arm in arm down the Shambles to bring luck for the coming year.

Pip pip cheerio,

Allie and Nacho

Last night was our first night at the dorms. Consensus seemed to be that everyone was way too tired to care about the not-so-great mattresses. We’ll see if the sentiment remains after tonight…

Jet lag hit some of us hard. Half of us were wide awake at 4 am, while others were rolling out of bed at 7:50. Somehow, we all made it to breakfast (mostly) on time. Andrew struggled to find an unlocked door to the dining hall, but eventually discovered an entrance (the front door).

After breakfast, our brave adventurers decided to divide and conquer in our exploration of the town of York so that we could cover more ground. Sir Steve led one group through the perilous streets of Northeast York. They ducked through the Monk Bar and tried to avoid the musket holes in the tower before scrambling up the slippery steps to survey the area from the limestone wall. From the vantage point, they spied a brick igloo that revealed itself as a medieval icehouse. They disembarked from the wall to discover the grand red tower and the stack of red buckets placed nearby because the tower had been hidden by the scaffolding surrounding it. As our travelers' feet grew weary, they scouted Foss Island from across the river and learned of The Destructor, a chimney into the sky for rubbish excavated from the river. Our team trudged towards the center of town in search of the best restaurants in the land, and along the path they stumbled upon some incredibly old pubs. With no time to spare, they pressed onwards to the local marketplace which they discovered to be a (tourist) trap! In their most dire moment, they were abandoned by their fearless tour guide who left them in search of ice cream. With so few options left, the adventurers split up even further and all wished each other luck in their journey to the university for lunch.

Meanwhile, Rosemary and the even numbered kids (better than being the odd ones) underwent their own exploration of York, traveling down streets that were sometimes centuries old. I’ve personally found York to be such an interesting mix of the new and the old and it’s absolutely fascinating watching the way it all blends together. We visited the York Art Museum and used its overhangings as shelter from the pouring rain that started pretty early on. Next door, we visited the king’s manor and learned some of the histories around King Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and the Church of England. Behind the King’s manor were a beautiful garden and the ruins of an ancient monastery. There was only a single wall still standing but it was still beautifully constructed and carved. I just kept imagining how it must have looked in its prime: huge arching windows overlooking a church full of pious monks. We also got to visit Westminster where I didn’t have to imagine anything. The vast architecture and intricate stained glass windows were right there in front of us. There were likely hundreds of thousands if not millions of pieces of glass that likely went into making those windows, and I could only imagine what it’d be like to be inside the building and watch the light filter through into dozens of different colors. Rosemary said that it took over 50 years for them to build it and it’s easy to see why. Not so old, however, was the newly implemented Queen Elizabeth statue, a stark white against the stones yellowing with age. Across the street, we stopped for a quick snack break at a cookie shop/Baskin Robbins (very European of us, I know) and York’s Chocolate Story next door. While devouring said ice cream and chocolate, we witness The Banana Man in a pineapple shirt perform gravity-defying acts of balance. It was… interesting to say the least. We continued our explorations down Shambles Gate (because streets are called “gates” and gates are called “bars” and bars are called “pubs” apparently) the most York street in York. In fact, it is said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley from Harry Potter and had lots of fun, magicky sort of shops to back that up. Once upon a time, however, Rosemary told us it used to be a street of meat and other food shops and the old shop counters and meat hooks could be seen throughout. Finally, we took one last snickleway back to the dorms before joining the rest of the group for lunch.

After their hunger was sated and the full team reunited, they began to uncover the secrets of journaling to fully realize the process to self-understanding and contentment. Following the presentation, these brave souls delved into the mysteries of communication through a game that vaguely resembled spades. Unfortunately, all of the adventurers had somehow lost their ability to talk and had to conquer this challenge without the use of their voices, and while some of the team were lost to the perils of the silence cursed upon the room, the band of heroes prevailed in both the card game and the next task thrown at them: unraveling the human knot. They all rejoiced merrily following these victories, which led them to the strengths presentation, where each individual began to unfurl the secret strengths held within their own hearts.

With no time to spare, the group visited a nearby coffee shop to rejuvenate themselves in preparation for dinner. They all ate heartily, and everyone was excited to relax in town. Again, the team split up. Half of the heroes traveled to the supermarket before heading into town to find a pub, while the other half hiked to a soccer field nearby. The first group's hopes for an empty pub were dashed when the fourth location they visited rejected them for being too large of a group. With dismay written on their faces, the adventurers split up so that a few could enter the pub whilst the rest returned home to play cards. The second group’s hopes were not dashed, (though temporarily diminished by a locked gate) as they eventually found the football pitch. There was a passionate rendition of the star-spangled banner and an intense game that tested everything the players had as they battled back and forth across the field all while trying to keep their feet under them in the wet grass. Thoroughly depleted, they set out to find some sustenance before returning back to the dorms as well.

As the night drew to a close, each hero prepared for the next exciting adventure that tomorrow held for them and promptly fell asleep.

Rudolf and Akira

Everyone met at the airport at 1:30 p.m.. While the chaperones got everyone checked in, we huddled in one big group, introducing ourselves and talking. As soon as all the bags were checked and we had our boarding passes, we went down to the basement level and took a group picture. After the group picture, the group scattered as we went through security and got food before finally meeting at the gate. We didn’t have much time left before boarding so we quickly ate.

When we got on the flight, everyone in our group played trivia, which Ian won. After take off, some people slept while others watched movies and played games. After the long flight, some of the guys got to go into the cockpit and see all the flight controls before we made our way to customs. After customs, we got our luggage and went looking for coffee and food before getting on the bus. Stepping into the cool, misty London air for the first time was a shock, since we had been so used to the 100+ degree Texas heat.

The bus ride to York was a long one, one characterized by us trying to get some sleep while surrounded by the constant downpours typical of the UK. Along the way, we took a break at a lovely little stop to take a stroll and recover our legs a bit. While we were there, we ran into some bikers wearing Route 66 shirts. We had a great time talking to them, and gained some great insight into some of the cultural differences between the U.S. and the U.K. We experienced these differences first hand when we are at Burger King and discovered that both the menu and the food was different than in the U.S., with much more healthy options.

When we finally arrived at York, it was as if we had stepped into a completely different dimension. The architecture around us made us feel as if we were at the scene of a medieval movie. I was still in awe at the majestic castle walls and picturesque architecture as we headed through the rain and into our dorms.

After getting oriented with our dorms and having some brilliant grilled chicken and chips for dinner, we decided to head out as a group to bumble our way through the streets of York. After getting lost in some alleys, we decided to stop at a British supermarket to buy some essentials: baked beans and tea. In order to buy some authentic beans, we asked some British shoppers to give their opinions on the best brand of canned beans. The overwhelming winner: Heinz.

Our next adventure: a tour around York given to us by a friendly group of teenagers we ran into. They showed us some rather interesting places, including an area that’s supposedly haunted, and a huge market that’s open in the morning. To cap off the day, the lads and I played a bit of footy outside to really get immersed in the culture of our temporary new home. While there was a bit of controversy about a couple of goals, unfortunately my team took the loss for today.

Cheers, Jaden Behringer & Aashikha Basappa