University of Arkansas Office of Study Abroad: A (very) Magical Week #HogsAbroad in England

This past week has been absolutely wonderful (until it wasn’t – ending the week with a waterfall coming from my bedroom ceiling) but I’ll focus on the good things! When I arrived in Sussex I was told that snow fall is a rare occasion since Brighton is situated in the South and on the coast. To my pleasant surprise, (and thanks to “the Beast from the East”) it snowed in Sussex!

It was picture-perfect snow – fluffy and ideal for snowballs, snow angels, and snowmen; Not to mention it made the drab university’s campus look stunning. The snow was a good remedy to take my mind off my coursework. Instead of prepping for my seminars or catching up on schoolwork, I went on a hike through the woods with friends. We walked on an icy trail through South Downs and laughed as we continually slipped around. The scenery was breath taking, as the snow lightly dusted the tree branches and shrubbery. The walk turned out to be worth the time off of school.

Later that day, I went out with a classmate to go “sledging” with one minor issue: we didn’t have a sledge. We had to improvise and instead, used a yellow “Caution! Wet!” sign. It was about as effective as it sounds, but nonetheless very enjoyable.

When the excitement of the snow died down my week continued to be magical. Saturday afternoon, a group of international students from uni and I visited the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London (hence, why this week has been deemed “magical”). I got to ride a broomstick, drink butterbeer, and best of all see the real sets and costumes that were used in the films. By the end of the 3-hour tour I was ready to watch all eight films back to back (ha!).

I am currently taking a class called Creative Production: Documentary Video. I noticed production rules that I am learning in class were implemented throughout filming on the sets of Harry Potter. The craziest aspect about the tour was the realization that everything is much smaller than expected (based on watching the films). I experienced shock when I saw that the familiar scenes in the movies are just sets (despite my deep wish that it all actually exists).

Enjoy the pictures!

Xx